The Witcher Season 4 Part 1 Episodes 1-4

The Witcher Season 4 Episode 1-4 Synopsis

00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:03.200
[DEREK]:This is The Witcher Podcast on TV Podcast Industries.

00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:06.940
[DEREK]:We're back for Season 4, Episodes 1 to 4.

00:00:06.940 --> 00:00:10.640
[STORYTELLER]:Destiny is a funny thing.

00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:17.800
[STORYTELLER]:But before we get there, you skipped over some important things.

00:00:17.800 --> 00:00:20.080
[STORYTELLER]:This is it.

00:00:20.080 --> 00:00:26.020
[STORYTELLER]:And just when it seemed all was lost, Geralt rose again.

00:00:45.512 --> 00:00:47.252
[DEREK]:Welcome back, fellow witchers.

00:00:47.252 --> 00:00:49.252
[DEREK]:Oh, it feels like a long time since we've said that.

00:00:49.252 --> 00:00:51.352
[DEREK]:This is TV Podcast Industries.

00:00:51.352 --> 00:00:56.832
[DEREK]:We are watching The Witcher Season 4, and we're going to be discussing Episodes 1 to 4 on this here podcast.

00:00:56.832 --> 00:00:58.392
[DEREK]:I am one of your hosts, Derek.

00:00:58.392 --> 00:01:00.292
[JOHN]:Hello there, fellow witchers.

00:01:00.292 --> 00:01:02.432
[JOHN]:I am one of your other hosts, John.

00:01:02.852 --> 00:01:04.712
[JOHN]:Welcome back.

00:01:04.712 --> 00:01:07.892
[JOHN]:Yeah, it does seem ages, but then I guess it is, what, two years?

00:01:07.892 --> 00:01:09.152
[DEREK]:No, I think it might even be more than that.

00:01:09.152 --> 00:01:11.212
[DEREK]:It might even be three.

00:01:11.212 --> 00:01:15.472
[DEREK]:No, it's probably two years, but there has been lots of Witcher stuff that's been released.

00:01:15.472 --> 00:01:27.572
[DEREK]:There's loads of animated stuff coming out, but the big change that we have, and we're obviously going to talk about in our episode, is the changeover of the lead character, Henry Cavill, formerly playing Geralt of Rivia.

00:01:27.572 --> 00:01:28.932
[DEREK]:And now we have a Hemsworth.

00:01:28.932 --> 00:01:31.852
[DEREK]:Liam Hemsworth has taken over the role of Geralt of Rivia.

00:01:32.812 --> 00:01:43.432
[DEREK]:So, we'll probably talk about it a lot, how that's impacted the show, or has it changed anything about the show, or even how it impacted the first episode of the show, I'd say is probably the most-

00:01:43.432 --> 00:01:44.952
[JOHN]:Yeah, I guess so, yeah.

00:01:44.952 --> 00:01:51.072
[JOHN]:So that's episode one, I guess, is where we just sort of bare our teeth on that one.

00:01:51.072 --> 00:01:53.212
[JOHN]:But yes, fellow witches, welcome back.

00:01:53.212 --> 00:02:06.932
[JOHN]:Before we get into our spoiler-filled discussion, please pop on over to our website at tvpodcastindustries.com, where you can subscribe to the podcast on any good or evil podcast catcher of your choice.

00:02:06.932 --> 00:02:10.852
[JOHN]:You can also leave a voicemail for our feedback section as well.

00:02:10.852 --> 00:02:22.612
[JOHN]:If your preference is for emails, then you can send your thoughts, theories and observations on all things to do with the Season 4 Witcher series to feedback at tvpodcastindustries.com.

00:02:23.592 --> 00:02:34.092
[JOHN]:Equally, there are the spoiler posts for The Witcher Season 4 over on our Facebook group at facebook.com/groups/tvpodcastindustries.

00:02:38.212 --> 00:02:38.932
[DEREK]:Absolutely.

00:02:38.932 --> 00:02:44.872
[DEREK]:And just a reminder of the way we cover The Witcher because it's released on Netflix and all dropped in a day a couple of weeks ago.

00:02:44.872 --> 00:02:50.652
[DEREK]:The way we cover The Witcher here on TV Podcast Industries is we're going to be covering four episodes on each of two podcasts.

00:02:50.792 --> 00:02:53.352
[DEREK]:So this is going to be part one, which will cover the first four episodes.

00:02:53.352 --> 00:02:59.432
[DEREK]:And if you have any thoughts on the other half of the season or the season overall, email them into this and we'll be covering those on our next podcast.

00:02:59.432 --> 00:03:04.932
[DEREK]:So we'd love to hear your thoughts on what you thought of this season of The Witcher, the penultimate season of The Witcher.

00:03:04.932 --> 00:03:10.192
[DEREK]:There's one more season to go after this, season five, and that will close out the story of The Witcher.

00:03:10.192 --> 00:03:26.452
[DEREK]:But this season, season four is based on the rest of the book, The Baptism of Fire and the book, The Tower of the Swallow, both written by Andrzej Sapkowski, and also this show is based on the game series from CD Projekt Red, so not just based on the book, as we've mentioned over the years.

00:03:26.452 --> 00:03:33.372
[DEREK]:So this first episode is called What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger, much like that song by one of your favorites, John, Kelly Clarkson.

00:03:33.372 --> 00:03:36.152
[JOHN]:Yes, What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger.

00:03:36.192 --> 00:03:37.372
[JOHN]:Well done, Kelly.

00:03:37.372 --> 00:03:38.772
[DEREK]:That's what was in my head the whole time.

00:03:38.772 --> 00:03:41.852
[DEREK]:I was expecting Yenne to break out into the song at some point.

00:03:41.892 --> 00:03:43.152
[JOHN]:Excellent.

00:03:43.152 --> 00:03:48.772
[JOHN]:Derek, give us who, where, what, when and how for Episode 1.

00:03:48.772 --> 00:03:51.032
[JOHN]:What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger.

00:03:51.032 --> 00:03:56.812
[DEREK]:Well, the other people behind the show, showrunner Lauren Schmidt-Hissrich has come back for the final two seasons of the show as well.

00:03:56.812 --> 00:04:00.892
[DEREK]:Of course, she was the producer of the first three seasons, head showrunner as well.

00:04:00.892 --> 00:04:08.292
[DEREK]:We talked about her many, many times over the years because she came from the Defenders shows on Netflix, Daredevil and The Defenders and also Umbrella Academy as well.

00:04:08.292 --> 00:04:10.052
[DEREK]:So we talked about her many, many times here.

00:04:10.712 --> 00:04:16.572
[DEREK]:The episode was also written by Lauren Schmidt-Hissrich and the episode was directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan.

00:04:16.572 --> 00:04:19.072
[DEREK]:This is his first of two episodes this season.

00:04:19.072 --> 00:04:20.592
[DEREK]:He directs the second episode as well.

00:04:20.592 --> 00:04:26.472
[DEREK]:And he previously directed two episodes of Penny Dreadful City of Angels, which we covered right here on this podcast.

00:04:26.472 --> 00:04:28.072
[JOHN]:We certainly did, yes.

00:04:28.072 --> 00:04:33.952
[JOHN]:And we did a retrospective of the three previous seasons of just Penny Dreadful.

00:04:33.952 --> 00:04:37.552
[DEREK]:Yeah, all in our Dreadful podcast, which I really love the name of.

00:04:38.252 --> 00:04:42.332
[DEREK]:I know that was actually borrowed by one of our wonderful podcast friends.

00:04:42.652 --> 00:04:46.412
[DEREK]:He borrowed the name The Dreadful Podcast, not knowing that we had the website.

00:04:46.932 --> 00:04:48.112
[DEREK]:We had everything as well.

00:04:48.112 --> 00:04:51.872
[DEREK]:So, Matty, in case you're wondering, John, you'll recognise that.

00:04:51.872 --> 00:04:58.032
[DEREK]:But with that said, John, do you want to tell us what they gave us with your synopsis for Episode 1 of The Witcher Season 4?

00:04:58.032 --> 00:04:59.292
[JOHN]:Sure.

00:04:59.292 --> 00:05:10.712
[JOHN]:On the way to Nilfgaard, Geralt, Yaskier and Milva save Cahir from Nilfgaardian soldiers, but leave him behind, with Geralt threatening to kill him for his previous pursuit of Ciri.

00:05:10.712 --> 00:05:18.652
[JOHN]:The group later joins up with the dwarf Smith Zoltan and his gnome friend Percival who are escorting war refugees.

00:05:18.652 --> 00:05:22.492
[JOHN]:Despite Geralt's threats, Cahir secretly follows the group.

00:05:22.492 --> 00:05:32.292
[JOHN]:Meanwhile, the Yennefer is trying to track down Vilgefortz, who is gathering a legion of loyalists and reinforcing public hatred towards mages after the Thanedd coup.

00:05:33.232 --> 00:05:40.992
[JOHN]:When an angry mob kills the mage Cira, Yennefer and her allies begin gathering an army against Vilgefortz and his forces.

00:05:40.992 --> 00:05:51.172
[JOHN]:In Redania, Philippa faces distrust in court and she is forced to flee as Dijkstra threatens to reveal to Radavid that she murdered Vizimir.

00:05:51.172 --> 00:05:58.332
[JOHN]:Following their bar brawl, Ciri joins the rats and forms an intimate bond with one of their members, Mistle.

00:05:58.332 --> 00:06:01.552
[DEREK]:So many characters that we haven't seen in such a long time, John.

00:06:02.292 --> 00:06:08.972
[JOHN]:So many characters that we haven't seen in such a long time, so many names, I've forgotten how to pronounce.

00:06:10.392 --> 00:06:13.772
[JOHN]:But equally, it is good to be back in this world.

00:06:13.772 --> 00:06:20.392
[JOHN]:I do like this world, but I do find it's very choppy to cover.

00:06:20.452 --> 00:06:32.052
[JOHN]:It's kind of sometimes I just wish they would have longer sort of sections being and staying with, say, Yennefer or Geralt and the group of travelers now.

00:06:32.052 --> 00:06:36.672
[DEREK]:I can really handle three part episodes every time because they're doing it anyway.

00:06:36.672 --> 00:06:50.192
[DEREK]:It could really handle three part episodes with where they stayed for the first third of the episode with Yenne, second third of the episode with Geralt and Yaskier, and third third with Ciri because chopping back and forth between them all the time.

00:06:50.192 --> 00:06:56.432
[DEREK]:Every episode feels really difficult just keeping in mind what's happened to the characters and has anything moved.

00:06:56.532 --> 00:07:06.632
[DEREK]:Because sometimes nothing's moved in the episode, but they've gone to maybe Ciri five or six times, and they're introducing seven other characters around her, and I'm going, but just stay with them for a second so we can get to know them more.

00:07:06.632 --> 00:07:10.632
[JOHN]:I think the thing is as well is like watching it like that is fine.

00:07:10.632 --> 00:07:24.632
[JOHN]:I think it's because we're taking notes and I think it's the style because I remember having the similar feeling on the previous ones, but it is a real nightmare for taking notes.

00:07:24.632 --> 00:07:25.772
[DEREK]:It can be absolutely.

00:07:25.892 --> 00:07:26.892
[JOHN]:Well, I find so.

00:07:26.892 --> 00:07:27.672
[DEREK]:That's our fault.

00:07:27.672 --> 00:07:28.992
[DEREK]:We shouldn't be taking notes.

00:07:28.992 --> 00:07:30.452
[DEREK]:We should just be watching and enjoying it.

00:07:30.452 --> 00:07:33.992
[JOHN]:It is our fault, but it's just one of those things.

00:07:33.992 --> 00:07:41.692
[DEREK]:But I kind of wish, on a show like that where there's so much going on and there's so many different characters to keep a track of, these are the types of shows I wish were weekly.

00:07:42.992 --> 00:07:58.872
[DEREK]:It worked really well for things like Rings of Power and for Wheel of Time to similar shows in the fantasy realm where in between the weeks, people pick out bits of the characters and things that they enjoyed of the episode, and they talk about all of those bits.

00:07:58.872 --> 00:08:03.192
[DEREK]:And by the end of the week, before you get into the next episode, you've had a recap of everything that went on.

00:08:03.192 --> 00:08:08.552
[DEREK]:Whereas with these, you're watching it on, and you're moving on to the next episode, and then the next, and then the next afterwards.

00:08:08.552 --> 00:08:17.452
[DEREK]:So with that in mind, the way we cover our shows is we choose our big moment from the episode that we want to talk about to remember from episode one, I suppose, the thing that's stuck in our minds.

00:08:17.452 --> 00:08:20.312
[DEREK]:So I'm going to start out with my big moment from the episode, because it is kind of big.

00:08:20.312 --> 00:08:22.612
[DEREK]:It's the catch up, really.

00:08:22.612 --> 00:08:24.552
[DEREK]:And they did a really interesting thing here.

00:08:24.552 --> 00:08:25.692
[DEREK]:We mentioned it earlier on.

00:08:25.692 --> 00:08:30.452
[DEREK]:We now have Ahemsworth on board in the universe of The Witcher.

00:08:30.452 --> 00:08:32.092
[DEREK]:This probably hasn't gone down that well.

00:08:32.092 --> 00:08:44.032
[DEREK]:I think the show itself got review bombed before the episodes were even released because we've lost Henry Cavill, who was so synonymous with the role and was such a wonderful actor in the role, but he has moved on from it.

00:08:44.032 --> 00:08:46.052
[DEREK]:So they wanted to continue telling the story.

00:08:46.052 --> 00:08:52.132
[DEREK]:They have given us an end date in the show, and we now have Liam Ahemsworth in here playing the role of Geralt of Revia.

00:08:52.132 --> 00:08:57.652
[DEREK]:And what they've done, which I found so interesting, was they've gone back to all of the big moments over a story.

00:08:57.652 --> 00:09:05.272
[DEREK]:We have an introduction where a child is retelling a storyteller's story to focus on the big moments of Geralt.

00:09:05.272 --> 00:09:10.192
[DEREK]:And now we have Liam Ahemsworth in the position of Geralt in all of the big moments throughout their history.

00:09:10.192 --> 00:09:11.712
[DEREK]:It's such an interesting way to do it.

00:09:11.712 --> 00:09:18.632
[DEREK]:It's like Flashback's Bush literally having him sitting there with each of the characters having their reactions with Liam there.

00:09:18.832 --> 00:09:22.252
[JOHN]:It's a very truncated retelling of the story.

00:09:22.252 --> 00:09:26.192
[JOHN]:And it's really kind of, I think it's pretty well done.

00:09:26.192 --> 00:09:35.212
[JOHN]:I mean, because I think as soon as the opening starts, my mind just was immediately transported back to the first season, the first episode.

00:09:35.592 --> 00:09:41.612
[JOHN]:So that connection really good, just that opening being repeated, but this time with Liam Hemsworth.

00:09:41.612 --> 00:09:52.612
[JOHN]:And then just slightly evolving it by having more of those creatures attack and the witcher fight them off as well was really good.

00:09:52.612 --> 00:09:54.052
[JOHN]:So I kind of like this.

00:09:54.052 --> 00:10:10.352
[JOHN]:I liked how, as you say, just kind of went through those main points, but sort of bringing up Yennefer, Cirilla, Yaskier, the Nilfgaardians, the Sintrans, Vilgefortz, Thanedd, the Scoattel, all that.

00:10:10.352 --> 00:10:13.792
[JOHN]:So it all comes back up and it's just that retelling very quick.

00:10:13.792 --> 00:10:15.912
[JOHN]:It is a nice opening in that sense.

00:10:15.912 --> 00:10:16.432
[DEREK]:Absolutely.

00:10:16.432 --> 00:10:18.272
[DEREK]:And I do want to say it's not just a retelling.

00:10:18.272 --> 00:10:27.792
[DEREK]:I do like the idea that they have him on a beach being surrounded by monsters that we've seen in various different locations over the course of the last three seasons of the show.

00:10:27.872 --> 00:10:30.572
[DEREK]:And they're all bearing down and he's fighting back against them.

00:10:30.572 --> 00:10:35.452
[DEREK]:It's like the shorthand of the child who's telling the story saying, Oh, but there's also loads of monsters.

00:10:35.452 --> 00:10:35.892
[DEREK]:Remember that.

00:10:35.892 --> 00:10:38.432
[DEREK]:Oh, and there are also these massive armies that were bearing down them.

00:10:38.432 --> 00:10:45.412
[DEREK]:And in the scenes that we're seeing of Liam Hemsworth, he is brutally facing off against all of these creatures at the same time.

00:10:45.412 --> 00:10:52.272
[DEREK]:So the scenes are probably more brutal than what we saw in the episodes, or at least all combined together being massively brutal.

00:10:52.312 --> 00:10:53.192
[DEREK]:So a great way to bring it back.

00:10:53.192 --> 00:10:57.632
[JOHN]:And also recreating the fight with Vilgefortz as well.

00:10:57.632 --> 00:10:57.932
[DEREK]:Yep.

00:10:57.932 --> 00:11:00.072
[JOHN]:You know, so I mean, it was really well done.

00:11:00.072 --> 00:11:04.752
[JOHN]:I think Liam Hemsworth's voice is at least the right pitch.

00:11:05.532 --> 00:11:07.412
[JOHN]:It sounds good.

00:11:07.412 --> 00:11:14.012
[JOHN]:To what extent it's his own voice, or to what extent it's been heavily modulated post-production.

00:11:14.012 --> 00:11:14.632
[JOHN]:I don't know.

00:11:14.632 --> 00:11:19.392
[DEREK]:There's definitely a moment where I was going, are they just using the hums from Henry Cavill?

00:11:20.072 --> 00:11:23.112
[DEREK]:It's just Henry Cavill is such an imposing figure.

00:11:23.112 --> 00:11:32.472
[DEREK]:Liam Hemsworth isn't Henry Cavill, but he's not really been given anything extra to do, to prove that he's different from Henry Cavill.

00:11:32.472 --> 00:11:37.872
[DEREK]:He's getting some great fight scenes in these moments at the beginning, but we've also seen Henry Cavill do them.

00:11:38.092 --> 00:11:42.432
[DEREK]:I can't see Liam Hemsworth stepping out of this role and doing something completely different.

00:11:42.432 --> 00:11:43.372
[DEREK]:He won't be allowed to.

00:11:43.372 --> 00:11:46.372
[DEREK]:There's only two seasons left and he's just continuing the story.

00:11:46.372 --> 00:11:47.592
[DEREK]:It's great that we have him on board.

00:11:48.252 --> 00:11:55.512
[DEREK]:I'm not going to give him massive praise for taking the role into a completely different direction and doing something different than Henry Cavill would do.

00:11:55.512 --> 00:11:58.752
[DEREK]:I'm just used to Henry Cavill and now we have a new actor playing the role.

00:11:58.752 --> 00:12:00.472
[DEREK]:He's playing it in the form of Henry Cavill.

00:12:01.032 --> 00:12:04.452
[DEREK]:Like when you go to a stage play and the understudy steps up and does the play.

00:12:04.452 --> 00:12:06.392
[DEREK]:They're perfectly serviceable in the role.

00:12:06.412 --> 00:12:10.632
[JOHN]:He's bulked up and all I can say is he better get in a bath.

00:12:11.732 --> 00:12:13.012
[JOHN]:He's certainly bulked up for the role.

00:12:13.312 --> 00:12:24.372
[JOHN]:In fact, I think at one point in the first four episodes, I think he's on the floor facing upwards and he looks really like Chris.

00:12:24.372 --> 00:12:27.372
[JOHN]:So I guess just that additional muscle mass.

00:12:27.372 --> 00:12:28.972
[DEREK]:Like his brother Chris, not our co-host Chris.

00:12:28.972 --> 00:12:30.152
[JOHN]:Yes, exactly.

00:12:32.192 --> 00:12:40.952
[JOHN]:Just the muscle mass, the additional protein weight that he's put on, just seems to have made him fill out like his brother.

00:12:41.112 --> 00:12:44.952
[DEREK]:And the hair kind of looks a little bit like Thor in the first Avengers movie.

00:12:44.952 --> 00:12:49.132
[DEREK]:I was going to say in season one of the Avengers, the first Avengers movie.

00:12:49.132 --> 00:12:56.732
[DEREK]:There was a moment where I thought where they revisit the scenes with Yenne and him when they were on the run and they're together.

00:12:56.992 --> 00:13:03.352
[DEREK]:And I was wondering whether the actress paid Yennefer said, look, I'll come back and do the show now that I know Henry's gone.

00:13:03.352 --> 00:13:04.852
[DEREK]:And we had such a good relationship.

00:13:04.852 --> 00:13:05.812
[DEREK]:I'll come back and do the show.

00:13:05.812 --> 00:13:07.572
[DEREK]:But only if you get a Hemsworth.

00:13:07.572 --> 00:13:08.512
[DEREK]:I don't mind which one.

00:13:09.412 --> 00:13:12.712
[DEREK]:Chris Hemsworth may not be available, maybe Trillium?

00:13:13.432 --> 00:13:15.812
[DEREK]:I just wonder if that was a conversation they had.

00:13:15.812 --> 00:13:18.192
[JOHN]:Maybe, possibly.

00:13:18.192 --> 00:13:25.592
[JOHN]:I think as well though, in terms of the catching up, I think this first episode is very much catching up as well.

00:13:25.592 --> 00:13:30.852
[JOHN]:It's about the war and it being wartime on the continent.

00:13:30.852 --> 00:13:32.872
[JOHN]:There's the different powers.

00:13:32.952 --> 00:13:37.772
[JOHN]:Ultimately, the mage's power has waned because of what happened at Thanedd.

00:13:37.772 --> 00:13:49.912
[JOHN]:But you have the Nilfgaardian king or emperor, Emhyr, with his council, with the pretend Ciri, which Geralt doesn't know about.

00:13:49.912 --> 00:13:57.472
[JOHN]:But you've got Nilfgaardians at war with the Cintrans and the Redanians.

00:13:58.532 --> 00:14:18.272
[JOHN]:You have then the group of Ciri separated from Yennefer and Geralt, Yennefer trying to deal with the mess from Thanedd, and Geralt then trying to get to Nilfgaard to rescue Ciri, who he thinks is being held prisoner in Nilfgaard.

00:14:18.272 --> 00:14:18.872
[DEREK]:Yeah.

00:14:18.872 --> 00:14:25.232
[JOHN]:So there's a lot going on, but this is kind of all very, very much touched upon.

00:14:25.252 --> 00:14:29.952
[JOHN]:I mean, even having Cahir come back here.

00:14:29.952 --> 00:14:31.652
[DEREK]:In the coffin, effectively.

00:14:31.652 --> 00:14:38.972
[DEREK]:What I was actually really surprised about is, yes, the initial moments are this kind of recap of everything that's gone on from the last three seasons.

00:14:38.972 --> 00:14:43.912
[DEREK]:But I was really surprised at how close to the end of season 3, the start of season 4 is.

00:14:43.912 --> 00:14:48.932
[DEREK]:It is literally Ciri running out of that pub brawl where she meets the rats for the first time.

00:14:48.932 --> 00:14:51.152
[DEREK]:That is literally at the end of last season.

00:14:51.152 --> 00:14:53.992
[DEREK]:It's Geralt walking through the woods with that injury to his leg.

00:14:54.192 --> 00:15:01.332
[DEREK]:It's Yenne still reeling from the death of the former mage leader after the Sanet.

00:15:01.332 --> 00:15:02.912
[DEREK]:So it is so close.

00:15:02.912 --> 00:15:11.832
[DEREK]:And again, you mentioned it there, the king of Nilfgaard, Emhyr, who thinks he's going to be married to actual Ciri and he's talking to her.

00:15:11.832 --> 00:15:26.372
[DEREK]:There's a moment in there, which I thought was the most shocking moment of the episode, which was a call back to the end of season 3, where Geralt had killed all of the guards on a border patrol effectively.

00:15:26.372 --> 00:15:31.852
[DEREK]:One of them got away, went back to Emhyr, and told them that Geralt's coming from here.

00:15:32.332 --> 00:15:33.392
[DEREK]:It's the same guy.

00:15:33.392 --> 00:15:54.152
[DEREK]:And then he's told for his efforts of getting all the way back home, he's told he's going to be drawn and quartered and fed to the pigs to punish him because a person who is basically as yellow-livered as him for putting his tail between his legs and going back to his king doesn't even deserve a grave for his family to visit.

00:15:54.152 --> 00:15:55.432
[DEREK]:I thought that was so brutal.

00:15:55.432 --> 00:15:59.672
[DEREK]:And it is directly connected to the last episode of last season.

00:15:59.672 --> 00:16:12.692
[DEREK]:So it kind of almost shows you that the production that they've done last season where Henry Cavill finished and where Liam Hemsworth was taking over, that was really intended to be a much shorter period of time.

00:16:12.772 --> 00:16:16.192
[DEREK]:It was probably going to be part of that season.

00:16:16.192 --> 00:16:17.612
[DEREK]:Because remember they split it last time.

00:16:17.612 --> 00:16:21.492
[DEREK]:They did a part one and a part two release for The Witcher Season 3.

00:16:21.492 --> 00:16:26.872
[DEREK]:So I wonder was it going to be six months later, we would have gotten these episodes had the filming continued.

00:16:26.872 --> 00:16:27.732
[JOHN]:Yeah, maybe.

00:16:27.992 --> 00:16:33.312
[DEREK]:You know, because as I mentioned up front, these are based on the other half of a book.

00:16:33.312 --> 00:16:35.692
[DEREK]:It wasn't, it's not a full book in Season 3.

00:16:35.692 --> 00:16:37.172
[DEREK]:So this other half of that book.

00:16:37.172 --> 00:16:39.832
[DEREK]:So just an interesting way to start the season.

00:16:39.832 --> 00:16:41.992
[DEREK]:But that's my major moment from the episode.

00:16:42.052 --> 00:16:44.972
[DEREK]:John, do you have a more specific moment than I pulled out?

00:16:44.972 --> 00:16:46.272
[JOHN]:I do.

00:16:47.792 --> 00:16:51.112
[JOHN]:And she's not Spock from Star Trek, that is for sure.

00:16:51.112 --> 00:16:59.732
[JOHN]:It's Yennefer's mind mills of the interrogated Vilgefortz spy.

00:17:00.012 --> 00:17:07.972
[JOHN]:The mage who has literally the fingers being pressed into her skull.

00:17:08.372 --> 00:17:08.972
[JOHN]:Oh, yes.

00:17:08.972 --> 00:17:17.092
[JOHN]:So she can bend her mind and get the truth out of it as to where Vilgefortz is.

00:17:17.092 --> 00:17:22.892
[JOHN]:So I mean, I just thought the whole imagery of this was really, really good.

00:17:23.912 --> 00:17:26.192
[JOHN]:And I thought it was just nicely done.

00:17:26.192 --> 00:17:32.032
[JOHN]:I think it's also, it kind of comes around this, that, you know, Yennefer is looking for Vilgefortz.

00:17:32.272 --> 00:17:38.972
[JOHN]:Vilgefortz, as we find out, is like, pursuing and trying to find Ciri.

00:17:38.972 --> 00:17:49.512
[JOHN]:And you have Vilgefortz trying to, in a sense, sort of finish off the mages and the witches from Thanedd that managed to escape.

00:17:49.512 --> 00:18:09.452
[JOHN]:And so you have Yennefer trying to find out where Vilgefortz base of operations is, coming back to her own base with this baying crowd calling for all the witches, you know, baying for blood and the spurred on by Vilgefortz spies.

00:18:09.452 --> 00:18:20.472
[JOHN]:And she, you know, she's kind of goes after one of them and she's been asked to join with his group or that she will lose.

00:18:22.212 --> 00:18:29.172
[JOHN]:And so it's not just that Vilgefortz is, you know, you kind of think he's on, he's fleeing.

00:18:29.872 --> 00:18:35.272
[JOHN]:But he's actually the one that in a sense has the upper hand.

00:18:35.272 --> 00:18:35.812
[JOHN]:Yeah.

00:18:35.812 --> 00:18:44.272
[JOHN]:And is kind of watching, waiting and trying to press his advantage against Yennefer and the remaining majors.

00:18:44.272 --> 00:18:53.252
[JOHN]:And so, okay, one of the witches gets killed because they, the crowd gets wound up so much.

00:18:53.472 --> 00:18:56.792
[JOHN]:It is literally pitchforks at the witches.

00:18:56.892 --> 00:18:59.872
[JOHN]:And so, they have to try and save themselves.

00:18:59.872 --> 00:19:03.212
[JOHN]:But they do capture this one witch.

00:19:03.212 --> 00:19:21.132
[JOHN]:And I do like the fact that as all the remaining witches, mages come together and Yennefer sort of sticks her fingers back into the mind of this mage, to really try and get the information.

00:19:21.132 --> 00:19:30.952
[JOHN]:This is when you see the power of Vilgefortz where he takes over and gets control of this prisoner killing her with the exploding eyes.

00:19:30.952 --> 00:19:32.752
[JOHN]:Yes.

00:19:32.752 --> 00:19:34.372
[JOHN]:I just really, really enjoyed it.

00:19:34.372 --> 00:19:49.192
[JOHN]:Again, it's just a reminder of the power of Vilgefortz and also the precariousness at witch Yennefer and indeed the continent is when it comes to Vilgefortz, you know.

00:19:51.212 --> 00:20:08.452
[JOHN]:I think he says witches have no home, no support, you know, and there's this sort of resolve then from Yennefer that we can fight him, in a sense we must fight him and we must build this army to go after him, you know, effectively.

00:20:08.452 --> 00:20:12.192
[JOHN]:Otherwise, we're the ones that are going to get killed and wiped out.

00:20:12.192 --> 00:20:21.232
[JOHN]:So it was just that moment, but I must say I just loved the whole, yes, Spock-like mind meld.

00:20:21.232 --> 00:20:31.932
[DEREK]:Yeah, and I love when the other three majors kind of form a circle to help allow her to push further and deeper into her, because originally they had kind of been given out going, you shouldn't be doing that.

00:20:31.932 --> 00:20:36.292
[DEREK]:She was one of us at one point in the past, and then they joined together to help.

00:20:36.292 --> 00:20:41.992
[JOHN]:Yeah, there's a real interesting turn of phrase that I think they kind of say.

00:20:42.152 --> 00:20:53.952
[JOHN]:It's like, you know, in a sense, you're prodding, you're being ruthless in doing this to her.

00:20:53.952 --> 00:20:59.572
[JOHN]:It is more like torture, rather than being determined to find the truth.

00:20:59.572 --> 00:21:08.172
[JOHN]:And so they kind of come in to almost, I think, add to her abilities.

00:21:08.172 --> 00:21:15.272
[JOHN]:And, you know, I think she says, you have to be determined, I think, to say I had previously used this technique.

00:21:15.272 --> 00:21:17.632
[JOHN]:She was determined to find the truth.

00:21:17.632 --> 00:21:21.292
[JOHN]:You're just literally, it's almost like a vengeance thing.

00:21:21.292 --> 00:21:25.052
[JOHN]:And so you're blind, you're not using it in the right way.

00:21:25.052 --> 00:21:26.932
[JOHN]:So you'll never get anything from her.

00:21:26.932 --> 00:21:33.772
[JOHN]:And she is literally on the cusp of when Vilgefortz kind of steps in and explodes her eyes out of her head.

00:21:33.772 --> 00:21:46.432
[JOHN]:So yeah, I like that because I mean, I think the witch is really good for bloody fights, crudeness, good monsters, and so on.

00:21:46.432 --> 00:21:49.072
[DEREK]:And especially these types of brutal moments as well.

00:21:49.072 --> 00:21:51.692
[DEREK]:Like there's so much else that we could have talked about in this episode.

00:21:51.692 --> 00:22:02.012
[DEREK]:You know, the battle at the end where we had Geralt going in to save a lady in need, as the soldiers from the road come in to attack her and are trying to have their way with her.

00:22:02.012 --> 00:22:07.112
[DEREK]:She's trying to defend herself by saying, there's the pox in the house, but he brutally kills everyone in there.

00:22:07.112 --> 00:22:12.412
[DEREK]:This is the first time we've seen Liam Hemsworth Geralt in his own battle.

00:22:12.412 --> 00:22:22.232
[DEREK]:Even there's other moments like Vilgefortz himself, those moments where he's possessing people that seem to be in the crowd as his avatars to speak to Yenne.

00:22:22.232 --> 00:22:25.032
[DEREK]:I thought that was a really cool scene to reveal him.

00:22:25.032 --> 00:22:27.372
[DEREK]:But we don't have time to talk about the rats.

00:22:27.372 --> 00:22:32.452
[DEREK]:You know, the introduction of all of that team where we find out what each of their purposes is, you know?

00:22:32.772 --> 00:22:39.432
[JOHN]:Well, there's Neif, there's Iskra, Gisela, Kaylee, Aesir and Mistle.

00:22:39.432 --> 00:22:39.832
[DEREK]:That's right.

00:22:39.832 --> 00:22:45.592
[JOHN]:So Neif is a former Nilf guardian who can kill you multiple ways.

00:22:45.592 --> 00:22:48.352
[JOHN]:Iskra is magical and an elf.

00:22:49.852 --> 00:22:55.512
[JOHN]:Gisela is a deserter and don't quite know which side he was on.

00:22:55.512 --> 00:22:56.552
[DEREK]:But he is their leader.

00:22:56.552 --> 00:22:58.132
[JOHN]:He is their leader.

00:22:58.132 --> 00:22:59.152
[JOHN]:He is their leader, yeah.

00:22:59.852 --> 00:23:06.572
[JOHN]:Kaleigh is a prick, but saves us with explosions, you know.

00:23:06.572 --> 00:23:13.352
[JOHN]:And interestingly, he knows that there is a bounty on Ciri's head here.

00:23:13.352 --> 00:23:19.732
[JOHN]:He says he knows that the Amarillo prefect has a bounty on Ciri's head.

00:23:19.732 --> 00:23:21.412
[JOHN]:So one to watch.

00:23:21.412 --> 00:23:25.112
[JOHN]:And AC is more comfortable with horses than people.

00:23:25.232 --> 00:23:25.972
[DEREK]:Yes, he's a horse master.

00:23:25.972 --> 00:23:26.952
[JOHN]:Yes.

00:23:26.952 --> 00:23:31.452
[JOHN]:And Mistle has got only eyes for Ciri.

00:23:31.452 --> 00:23:33.092
[DEREK]:She's the one you can trust.

00:23:33.092 --> 00:23:33.592
[JOHN]:Yes.

00:23:33.592 --> 00:23:37.452
[DEREK]:Now, I will say I'm going to have to give a little complaint for this episode.

00:23:37.452 --> 00:23:40.452
[DEREK]:There's one thing I absolutely hate.

00:23:40.452 --> 00:23:45.412
[DEREK]:Kaleigh tries to push himself on Ciri and Ciri pushes him away.

00:23:45.412 --> 00:23:48.972
[DEREK]:Don't know you, get the hell away from me kind of thing.

00:23:48.972 --> 00:23:56.112
[DEREK]:And then about three seconds later, Mistle, who's witnessed the whole thing, talks to Ciri and then they're kissing and going to bed together for the night.

00:23:56.112 --> 00:23:58.892
[DEREK]:Like, their shortness in story is storytelling.

00:23:58.892 --> 00:24:04.772
[DEREK]:And The Witcher, as we've said, particularly this episode, is known for shoving loads into the episode.

00:24:04.772 --> 00:24:10.332
[DEREK]:I just felt maybe leave that for the next time, the next night, the next day, something else.

00:24:10.332 --> 00:24:15.412
[DEREK]:It was within the same moment in the series like, yeah, okay, sure, why not, Mistle, you know?

00:24:15.412 --> 00:24:17.252
[DEREK]:Like, you can fancy someone, no problem at all.

00:24:17.252 --> 00:24:25.592
[DEREK]:But yeah, if a guy comes up to you to party, tries to force himself on you, and then the next person who walks over to you, you fancy, and then they say, do you want to go to bed?

00:24:25.592 --> 00:24:26.452
[JOHN]:Do you want to snog?

00:24:26.452 --> 00:24:27.892
[DEREK]:You usually want to, you know, maybe a drink.

00:24:27.892 --> 00:24:29.552
[JOHN]:They start snogging in the back of the caravan as well.

00:24:29.552 --> 00:24:30.612
[DEREK]:They do, yeah, they do.

00:24:30.612 --> 00:24:34.132
[DEREK]:I just thought a little bit of time between the two moments would have been nice.

00:24:34.132 --> 00:24:35.112
[JOHN]:A little bit quick.

00:24:35.112 --> 00:24:36.212
[DEREK]:Yes, yeah.

00:24:36.212 --> 00:24:38.292
[JOHN]:Oh, Ciri, you little minx.

00:24:38.292 --> 00:24:39.932
[JOHN]:I'm indeed Mistle as well.

00:24:39.932 --> 00:24:41.552
[JOHN]:Where will it end?

00:24:41.552 --> 00:24:42.712
[JOHN]:Tears me thinks.

00:24:42.712 --> 00:24:43.192
[DEREK]:You never know.

00:24:43.612 --> 00:24:44.572
[DEREK]:You never know.

00:24:44.572 --> 00:24:46.332
[DEREK]:John, do you have a rating for this episode?

00:24:46.332 --> 00:24:47.592
[DEREK]:Because we're going to cover all four episodes.

00:24:47.592 --> 00:24:49.052
[DEREK]:Do you want to do a rating for each one as we go?

00:24:49.052 --> 00:24:50.652
[JOHN]:Yes, I do.

00:24:50.652 --> 00:24:55.392
[JOHN]:Mine's three and a half Hooked Soldiers Plums out of five.

00:24:55.392 --> 00:24:58.612
[JOHN]:Yes, and Geralt uses the old hook from the farm.

00:24:58.632 --> 00:25:00.052
[DEREK]:Oh, yes, yes.

00:25:00.052 --> 00:25:05.312
[JOHN]:To, well, I guess castrate one of the soldiers.

00:25:05.312 --> 00:25:07.512
[DEREK]:I was lucky it was in I Know What You Did Last Summer.

00:25:07.512 --> 00:25:10.192
[DEREK]:It was, yeah, exactly like that.

00:25:10.192 --> 00:25:11.032
[DEREK]:I'd be around there.

00:25:11.032 --> 00:25:12.552
[DEREK]:I might actually be a little lower than that.

00:25:12.552 --> 00:25:13.892
[DEREK]:I think I'm probably on a three.

00:25:13.892 --> 00:25:21.192
[DEREK]:I watched this episode and was going, did anything else happen there other than it recapped what we've seen before and did minor setups.

00:25:21.192 --> 00:25:25.552
[DEREK]:I think the most of what happened here that I was interested in was Yennefer's stuff.

00:25:25.552 --> 00:25:27.032
[DEREK]:I thought that was really interesting.

00:25:27.032 --> 00:25:28.452
[DEREK]:I don't know whether it moved the story forward.

00:25:28.452 --> 00:25:34.892
[DEREK]:We probably knew that she was going to start gathering people together to go up against Vilgefortz, but it's nice to see it on screen.

00:25:34.892 --> 00:25:36.152
[DEREK]:It's nice to have them back.

00:25:36.152 --> 00:25:38.752
[DEREK]:And I'm glad we were able to go straight on to the second episode of this case.

00:25:38.752 --> 00:25:39.232
[JOHN]:It was.

00:25:39.232 --> 00:25:45.472
[JOHN]:And indeed, just the only other note I would have here is that Geralt is still injured with his leg.

00:25:45.612 --> 00:25:46.412
[DEREK]:Yes, he is.

00:25:46.412 --> 00:25:49.352
[JOHN]:The attack by Vilgefortz.

00:25:49.352 --> 00:25:58.132
[DEREK]:But defending an innocent at the end of the episode where he destroyed a bunch of soldiers did seem to help with his with his gammy leg at the end of the episode.

00:25:58.132 --> 00:25:58.552
[JOHN]:A little.

00:25:58.552 --> 00:26:00.532
[DEREK]:But he still has the gammy leg, of course.

00:26:00.532 --> 00:26:02.552
[DEREK]:But he was able to fight, I suppose, is my point.

00:26:02.552 --> 00:26:04.392
[JOHN]:Yes, he's still able to fight and move.

00:26:04.392 --> 00:26:08.272
[JOHN]:He certainly much better healed.

00:26:08.272 --> 00:26:12.132
[JOHN]:But it's like there's a persistent injury there.

00:26:12.132 --> 00:26:12.552
[DEREK]:Exactly.

00:26:12.552 --> 00:26:13.992
[JOHN]:That's the point I was trying to make.

00:26:14.052 --> 00:26:15.392
[DEREK]:Yeah, absolutely.

00:26:15.392 --> 00:26:17.592
[DEREK]:We have a little bit of feedback in for this specific episode.

00:26:17.592 --> 00:26:19.632
[DEREK]:Most of our feedback is on the last episode.

00:26:19.632 --> 00:26:21.532
[DEREK]:We got feedback on all four.

00:26:21.532 --> 00:26:23.252
[DEREK]:But a little bit of feedback came in from Dr.

00:26:23.252 --> 00:26:24.932
[DEREK]:Bob Phillips on this episode.

00:26:24.932 --> 00:26:30.692
[DEREK]:He says, The re-filming of the iconic monster kills with the Regenerate was a pretty good start.

00:26:30.692 --> 00:26:35.152
[DEREK]:I've got to say, there was quite a bit of establishing swordplay to make me almost convinced.

00:26:35.152 --> 00:26:48.552
[DEREK]:I need there to be a few more and bad scenes to really allow us to see if he's up to scratch or just a long running fake out where we find he's like the married Ciri and the real Witcher is in another part of the world having travelled by Monolith.

00:26:48.552 --> 00:26:55.212
[DEREK]:And do we think the princess bride framing with the villager storyteller is going to carry on through the series?

00:26:55.212 --> 00:26:55.612
[DEREK]:Excellent.

00:26:55.612 --> 00:26:56.112
[DEREK]:Thanks, Dr.

00:26:56.112 --> 00:26:56.572
[DEREK]:Bob.

00:26:56.572 --> 00:26:57.412
[JOHN]:Yeah, thanks, Dr.

00:26:57.412 --> 00:26:57.772
[JOHN]:Bob.

00:26:57.772 --> 00:26:59.172
[DEREK]:Good question at the end there.

00:26:59.172 --> 00:27:13.712
[DEREK]:So that opening scene where we have the storyteller and the child and the child correcting the storyteller where the storyteller mentions all the things you've been talking about happened about 100 years ago, so the details have been lost to time and then he gets corrected by the by the young girl that's there.

00:27:13.712 --> 00:27:15.872
[DEREK]:Do we think that framing is going to come back at the end?

00:27:15.872 --> 00:27:20.812
[DEREK]:I think so because we hear the girl say, I think I have a part to play in this story.

00:27:21.112 --> 00:27:35.812
[JOHN]:So I do think that girl will come back in to play, whether the older guy or whether the framing around, you know, the storytelling will come into play, but I think the girl will.

00:27:36.652 --> 00:27:40.092
[JOHN]:And I hope so because that's the thing I picked up as well.

00:27:40.092 --> 00:27:43.092
[JOHN]:And that was the first thing I immediately thought.

00:27:43.092 --> 00:27:53.132
[JOHN]:So yeah, let's hope that the village storyteller and the young girl come back in to it because she has a part to play.

00:27:53.132 --> 00:27:57.332
[DEREK]:Absolutely, and time travel will be invented in this world.

00:27:57.332 --> 00:27:58.692
[JOHN]:And also, Dr.

00:27:58.692 --> 00:28:03.252
[JOHN]:Bob, yes, I think a few more bath scenes are required here.

00:28:04.192 --> 00:28:09.852
[DEREK]:Absolutely, and definitely some more growls from The Witcher.

00:28:09.852 --> 00:28:10.852
[DEREK]:Great stuff, thanks Dr.

00:28:10.852 --> 00:28:11.132
[DEREK]:Bob.

00:28:11.132 --> 00:28:11.672
[JOHN]:Thanks Dr.

00:28:11.672 --> 00:28:12.112
[JOHN]:Bob.

00:28:12.112 --> 00:28:15.012
[DEREK]:On to Episode 2, John.

00:28:15.012 --> 00:28:18.012
[JASKIER]:We do meet an awful lot of odd characters on our paths, don't we?

00:28:18.012 --> 00:28:20.332
[JASKIER]:Yeah, they're not quiet.

00:28:20.332 --> 00:28:21.672
[CLOGGY]:Yeah, we hope.

00:28:21.672 --> 00:28:25.292
[CLOGGY]:Well, good luck, and good riddance, get through Feder cairn, then.

00:28:25.372 --> 00:28:26.432
[JASKIER]:We'll, take your luck.

00:28:26.432 --> 00:28:30.052
[JASKIER]:but you can keep your riddance, you cretin.

00:28:30.052 --> 00:28:35.372
[JOHN]:Fellow Witchers, it is Episode 2, Dream of a Wish Fulfilled.

00:28:35.372 --> 00:28:40.552
[DEREK]:Yes, this episode once again directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, and the episode was written by Tania Lotia.

00:28:40.552 --> 00:29:02.352
[DEREK]:She wrote the second episode of The Witcher Season 3 as well, and an episode of The Witcher Bloodlines, and she wrote Season 3, Episode 4 of Invincible, that one where Mark is brought to the far future to deal with a friend, is what I've written, John, just in case you recognize what that episode is about, because it was a brutal and really, really good episode of Invincible, another show that we cover right here.

00:29:02.392 --> 00:29:04.192
[JOHN]:Yeah, absolutely.

00:29:04.192 --> 00:29:04.812
[JOHN]:Good stuff.

00:29:04.812 --> 00:29:06.232
[DEREK]:A really good episode.

00:29:06.232 --> 00:29:08.652
[DEREK]:Tania also has another show coming out this month.

00:29:08.652 --> 00:29:15.772
[DEREK]:She's written an episode of the critical role slash Vox Machina spin off The Mighty Nine, which is coming out in prime video this month.

00:29:15.772 --> 00:29:17.772
[DEREK]:I know you're a big fan of Vox Machina, John.

00:29:17.772 --> 00:29:19.092
[JOHN]:Yeah, definitely.

00:29:19.092 --> 00:29:20.012
[JOHN]:Chris got me into that.

00:29:20.112 --> 00:29:31.992
[JOHN]:Chris, our co-host, absolutely loved that series of animation, Vox Machina, just really good for adult animation.

00:29:31.992 --> 00:29:35.512
[DEREK]:Yeah, and the story gets very complex as well as it goes along and really good.

00:29:35.512 --> 00:29:35.892
[DEREK]:Yeah.

00:29:35.892 --> 00:29:42.112
[JOHN]:To be honest, for me, it absolutely took me back to Dungeons and Dragons, which is really what it's based on.

00:29:42.112 --> 00:29:42.612
[DEREK]:Yeah.

00:29:42.612 --> 00:29:44.952
[JOHN]:So in that sense, it was pitch perfect.

00:29:44.952 --> 00:29:50.512
[DEREK]:The team from Critical Role did a D&D podcast, created all these stories and now they've become an animated series.

00:29:50.512 --> 00:29:54.732
[DEREK]:And now the second one of those, Mighty Nein, is coming out on Prime Video this month.

00:29:54.732 --> 00:29:56.912
[DEREK]:So I'm sure you'll be checking that one out.

00:29:56.912 --> 00:30:05.732
[DEREK]:But we're interested in that Chris got us into that and got you into that, and got us both into Witcher to begin with, and now can't unfortunately join us for our chats about The Witcher.

00:30:05.732 --> 00:30:09.132
[DEREK]:I hope he's going to send us in a voicemail maybe to tell us what he thought of the series.

00:30:09.432 --> 00:30:10.032
[JOHN]:I'm sure he will.

00:30:10.032 --> 00:30:13.312
[DEREK]:We just can't make the time work with Chris, unfortunately, at the moment.

00:30:13.312 --> 00:30:13.532
[JOHN]:Yeah.

00:30:13.532 --> 00:30:17.072
[JOHN]:No, it is a shame, to be honest, but he's a very busy man.

00:30:17.252 --> 00:30:17.652
[DEREK]:He is.

00:30:17.652 --> 00:30:18.332
[DEREK]:He is.

00:30:18.332 --> 00:30:26.912
[DEREK]:But John, do you want to tell us what they gave us with the synopsis for The Witcher Season 4 Episode 2, A Dream of a Wish Fulfilled?

00:30:26.912 --> 00:30:28.172
[RENAE]:Sure.

00:30:28.172 --> 00:30:40.732
[JOHN]:Ciri aids the rats during a robbery, saves them from being captured by the City Watch, and later earns them gratitude from the local common folk, upon which the rats formally accept her as one of their own.

00:30:40.732 --> 00:30:47.672
[JOHN]:Meanwhile, Emhyr has grown suspicious of Terran, who is posing as Ciri, realising she is an imposter.

00:30:47.672 --> 00:30:56.512
[JOHN]:Emhyr commands Skelon, his spymaster, to find the real Ciri, as he needs to marry her and father a child to fulfil a prophecy.

00:30:56.512 --> 00:31:11.132
[JOHN]:Yennefer recruits Philippa and Fringilla, with the former providing her castle Monte Calvo as her headquarters for the Resistance, and the latter infiltrating the Stygge Castle, Vilgefortz hideout to spy on him.

00:31:11.132 --> 00:31:19.852
[JOHN]:Vilgefortz is revealed to be holding Istred captive, using him to tamper with the Monoliths to block other mages than his own from using portals.

00:31:19.852 --> 00:31:33.292
[JOHN]:Still on their slow journey to Nilfgaard, Geralt and his party encounter Regis, a mysterious barber-surgeon who gives them shelter, heals Geralt's wounded leg, and joins them on their quest.

00:31:33.292 --> 00:31:35.652
[DEREK]:Very big new character coming into the show here, John.

00:31:35.712 --> 00:31:37.972
[JOHN]:Indeed, yes.

00:31:37.972 --> 00:31:41.452
[JOHN]:I dare say that segues quite nicely into my big moment.

00:31:41.452 --> 00:31:42.692
[DEREK]:It was not intentional.

00:31:42.692 --> 00:31:49.032
[JOHN]:Which is Emhyr Regis, who is played by the one and only Lawrence Fishburne.

00:31:49.032 --> 00:31:49.852
[DEREK]:Larry.

00:31:49.852 --> 00:31:50.492
[JOHN]:Yeah.

00:31:50.492 --> 00:31:51.372
[DEREK]:Love Lawrence Fishburne.

00:31:51.372 --> 00:31:51.912
[JOHN]:Yeah, me too.

00:31:51.912 --> 00:32:00.032
[DEREK]:He's one of those actors, he's well-known that his first role was in Apocalypse Now when he was about 16, pretending to be about 18.

00:32:00.032 --> 00:32:04.932
[DEREK]:So he's been around for such a long time and my favorite of his was in Boys in the Hood.

00:32:04.932 --> 00:32:07.192
[DEREK]:That's my favorite role that he ever did.

00:32:07.192 --> 00:32:08.452
[DEREK]:Loved him in that movie.

00:32:08.452 --> 00:32:09.032
[JOHN]:Excellent.

00:32:09.032 --> 00:32:09.292
[JOHN]:Yeah.

00:32:09.292 --> 00:32:11.112
[JOHN]:No, it was a great movie.

00:32:11.112 --> 00:32:12.372
[DEREK]:He's such a good character.

00:32:12.592 --> 00:32:16.052
[DEREK]:So having him here in The Witcher was a real surprise when he turned up.

00:32:16.052 --> 00:32:16.932
[JOHN]:Absolutely.

00:32:16.932 --> 00:32:19.012
[JOHN]:It was really good.

00:32:19.012 --> 00:32:21.732
[JOHN]:Just such a great character.

00:32:22.812 --> 00:32:24.612
[JOHN]:Absolutely mysterious.

00:32:24.612 --> 00:32:28.512
[JOHN]:Barber, surgeon, but all equally herbalist.

00:32:28.512 --> 00:32:32.572
[JOHN]:Something absolutely seems fishy about him.

00:32:32.572 --> 00:32:36.512
[JOHN]:You have his home.

00:32:36.512 --> 00:32:40.392
[JOHN]:This cottage is in the middle of a graveyard, of a cemetery.

00:32:41.672 --> 00:32:53.412
[JOHN]:He is a creator of elixirs and effectively seems to be getting them all drunk on the seventh essence, as they call it.

00:32:53.412 --> 00:32:55.932
[JOHN]:And he's not drinking anything.

00:32:55.932 --> 00:33:05.132
[JOHN]:You have The Witcher kind of just, you know, looking at him, also not drinking the seventh essence here.

00:33:05.132 --> 00:33:06.512
[DEREK]:He does eventually have a little drink.

00:33:06.592 --> 00:33:14.712
[JOHN]:He does, but way later on, it's after, you know, he looks to help Geralt with his wounded leg.

00:33:14.712 --> 00:33:17.932
[JOHN]:He does clock that it's worse than he's letting on.

00:33:18.912 --> 00:33:23.812
[JOHN]:But ultimately, he, you know, he does provide some relief for this.

00:33:23.812 --> 00:33:29.532
[JOHN]:So, you know, it all feels, it feels a little suspicious, shall we say.

00:33:29.532 --> 00:33:36.852
[JOHN]:I mean, we do find out a bit later that Regis says he's, you know, he effectively has gotten them drunk so that he knew he could trust them.

00:33:36.852 --> 00:33:37.232
[DEREK]:Yes.

00:33:37.632 --> 00:33:43.712
[JOHN]:You know, help loosen their tongues and really find out who they are and what they think.

00:33:43.712 --> 00:33:52.512
[DEREK]:A little bit, you know, all he really needed to do was get Yaskier to talk for more than three seconds and he would probably reveal all of their plans and their entire history.

00:33:52.912 --> 00:33:56.112
[DEREK]:But he needed Geralt to speak as part of it as well, right?

00:33:56.112 --> 00:34:03.152
[DEREK]:He needed confirmation from someone like Geralt who keeps so much close to his chest that if you get that, then you know, it's people you can trust, right?

00:34:03.152 --> 00:34:08.212
[JOHN]:Well, he does because he actually lets on that they're trying to find the child of destiny, Ciri.

00:34:08.212 --> 00:34:10.252
[JOHN]:So he completely lets the cat out of the bag.

00:34:10.252 --> 00:34:10.992
[JOHN]:Yeah.

00:34:10.992 --> 00:34:13.352
[JOHN]:There's nothing secret about this mission anymore.

00:34:13.752 --> 00:34:17.072
[JOHN]:At least not in terms of for Emile Regis.

00:34:17.072 --> 00:34:30.972
[JOHN]:So I kind of, the characters absolutely played so well by Lawrence Fishburne here, just giving this sense of unease, suspicion as to what is or what are the motives here.

00:34:30.972 --> 00:34:43.832
[JOHN]:It's only made kind of even more intriguing at the end because Regis does join Geralt and, you know, the rest of them, Yaskier and the dwarves.

00:34:44.912 --> 00:34:55.672
[JOHN]:And he says, you know, discretion is a value I cherish as well and kind of thanks Geralt for being discreet.

00:34:55.672 --> 00:35:01.892
[JOHN]:And whether that's because Geralt has clocked about who or what he may be.

00:35:01.892 --> 00:35:13.772
[JOHN]:But then it kind of takes another little weird turn where you have that Regis is still holding the bloody bandage from Geralt's leg in a casket.

00:35:13.772 --> 00:35:16.652
[JOHN]:And you kind of like going, okay, why is that?

00:35:16.652 --> 00:35:18.152
[DEREK]:So he's just a fan.

00:35:18.152 --> 00:35:23.092
[JOHN]:Maybe he's just a fan, but it's the eyes, the creepy eyes, the fan.

00:35:23.092 --> 00:35:24.112
[JOHN]:What is he?

00:35:24.112 --> 00:35:30.252
[JOHN]:Is Regis, you know, just this herbalist, potions master?

00:35:30.252 --> 00:35:40.892
[JOHN]:Is he someone who is, you know, connected to Vilgefortz, Nilfgaard, or is it someone that maybe should be scared of the Witcher himself?

00:35:40.892 --> 00:35:49.412
[JOHN]:You know, because you just have the Witcher sort of standing off a bit from him, watching, sort of knowingly grunting every now and then.

00:35:49.412 --> 00:35:50.732
[DEREK]:Kind of does that with everybody though.

00:35:50.732 --> 00:35:51.452
[JOHN]:Absolutely.

00:35:51.452 --> 00:35:54.712
[JOHN]:So I do like this introduction.

00:35:54.712 --> 00:36:01.132
[DEREK]:But what I also love, the bookend, from the start of the episode to the end of the episode, the bookend is, they go into this graveyard.

00:36:02.152 --> 00:36:04.992
[DEREK]:And they're chatting away to the Fen'Karen, isn't it?

00:36:04.992 --> 00:36:06.152
[DEREK]:And they're chatting away.

00:36:06.152 --> 00:36:12.432
[DEREK]:And Yaskier says, We do meet a lot of odd people on our journey after just a very normal incident happens.

00:36:12.432 --> 00:36:17.272
[DEREK]:Then they go up against the Wraith and then they meet Emhyr Regis at the end, later on in the episode.

00:36:17.352 --> 00:36:20.812
[DEREK]:I have to say that the fight against the Wraith is really cool.

00:36:20.812 --> 00:36:22.512
[DEREK]:There's some great moments in it.

00:36:22.512 --> 00:36:32.512
[DEREK]:Yaskier doing something really bloody stupid as usual, standing on top of a seal and reading the inscription on the seal, which gets him sucked into the lair, unsurprisingly.

00:36:32.512 --> 00:36:39.452
[DEREK]:But there's a classic moment there as well with Milva the Archer, where she's trying to get him out of the trap that he's in.

00:36:39.452 --> 00:36:47.012
[DEREK]:She basically creates this ladder of arrows by firing the arrows into this lair while Geralt takes care of the Wraith.

00:36:47.012 --> 00:36:48.072
[DEREK]:I thought that was a cool opening sequence.

00:36:50.372 --> 00:36:51.612
[DEREK]:It was very good.

00:36:51.612 --> 00:36:58.392
[JOHN]:I do like the ominous monster graveyard of death that they start off.

00:36:58.392 --> 00:37:03.852
[JOHN]:I mean, it's classic Witcher episode where you have this monster at the beginning.

00:37:03.852 --> 00:37:12.632
[JOHN]:Great little fight sequence, battle, whatever, off to that opening frame of the Witcher with the seal or whatever.

00:37:12.632 --> 00:37:12.872
[DEREK]:Yes.

00:37:12.872 --> 00:37:25.992
[DEREK]:Back in the days of 22 episode TV, like X-Files and Supernatural, we used to call those the monster of the week episodes in The Witcher because there's only eight episode seasons, we call it the monster of the first quarter of the episodes.

00:37:26.372 --> 00:37:27.892
[DEREK]:That's how it works.

00:37:27.892 --> 00:37:28.392
[DEREK]:Excellent stuff.

00:37:28.392 --> 00:37:31.512
[DEREK]:Anything else about Emhyl Regis, John?

00:37:31.512 --> 00:37:38.472
[JOHN]:No, I think just the introduction here, before getting onto the other episode, it was just really interesting character.

00:37:38.472 --> 00:37:39.772
[JOHN]:I liked how it was done.

00:37:39.852 --> 00:37:46.212
[JOHN]:It was just this eyeing up between Regis and the Witcher.

00:37:46.212 --> 00:37:54.712
[JOHN]:Certainly him seemingly getting everyone else in the group, like Yaskier, absolutely off their face on the seventh essence.

00:37:54.712 --> 00:37:58.232
[JOHN]:Then it was just really, really good.

00:37:58.392 --> 00:38:04.312
[JOHN]:I like the mystery that it created around this herbalist known as Emhyl Regis.

00:38:04.372 --> 00:38:05.432
[DEREK]:Absolutely, absolutely.

00:38:05.432 --> 00:38:06.612
[DEREK]:Great stuff.

00:38:06.612 --> 00:38:08.752
[DEREK]:I'll go on to my big moment from Episode 2.

00:38:08.752 --> 00:38:19.312
[DEREK]:I'm going to change it from what I wrote in the notes, John, just so you know, because I think the rats in this episode, their scenes with Ciri or now Falca are really fun.

00:38:19.312 --> 00:38:27.472
[DEREK]:We have Ciri sitting side by side with Asa, the horse master, and he's pointing out how their jobs go and how they work.

00:38:27.472 --> 00:38:37.292
[DEREK]:I thought it was a really cool opening for their scenes of the episode where he's pointing out the distraction slash infiltration, then the execution, and then a complication.

00:38:37.292 --> 00:38:39.412
[DEREK]:Here's the way that the whole story plays out.

00:38:39.412 --> 00:38:42.612
[DEREK]:They're effectively going to take down a tax collector that's in town.

00:38:42.612 --> 00:38:46.652
[DEREK]:He's been ripping off the whole city, so he has all of the city's money, which we find out later on.

00:38:46.652 --> 00:38:57.352
[DEREK]:But two of the team distract the security guard in the outside while the rest of them break in to the tax collector's lair almost as well.

00:38:57.352 --> 00:39:05.172
[DEREK]:Then they come away with a massive amount of money, but are chased by all the rest of the security guards who've arrived and Ciri steps in to help them out.

00:39:05.172 --> 00:39:09.452
[DEREK]:They get away just with Ciri in tow.

00:39:09.452 --> 00:39:11.212
[DEREK]:They're all really happy that they're able to get away.

00:39:11.332 --> 00:39:15.712
[DEREK]:Then unfortunately, they're being chased by even more horsemen.

00:39:15.712 --> 00:39:28.252
[DEREK]:Ciri makes a decision to get rid of all of their ill-gotten loot at the back to distract the locals who pick up all the money and stop the chasers from catching up to them.

00:39:28.252 --> 00:39:33.432
[DEREK]:I really love this moment because the confidence of Ciri is starting to come back now.

00:39:33.432 --> 00:39:42.692
[DEREK]:She's been out of sorts since she lost Geralt and Yenne for the last couple of seasons, really, at least the last couple of episodes.

00:39:42.692 --> 00:39:45.592
[DEREK]:So here we see a bit more of Ciri coming back to herself.

00:39:45.592 --> 00:39:46.692
[DEREK]:They all start to blame her.

00:39:46.832 --> 00:39:50.772
[DEREK]:They all start to get really angry at the fact that she stepped in and ruined their plan.

00:39:50.772 --> 00:39:55.472
[DEREK]:And then she points out that, no, hang on a second, that's not actually what happened.

00:39:55.472 --> 00:39:57.252
[DEREK]:Here's where each of you went wrong.

00:39:57.252 --> 00:40:02.492
[DEREK]:And if you had done your job, maybe you would have gotten away, but none of you did your job correctly.

00:40:02.492 --> 00:40:03.512
[DEREK]:And then I stepped in.

00:40:03.512 --> 00:40:13.872
[DEREK]:She points out that Kayleigh used three explosions to blow open one door, which drew even more attention to everybody than should have been drawn.

00:40:14.272 --> 00:40:25.012
[DEREK]:She points out that Reef did drugs with the tax collector and kicked him out a window into the street, which really shouldn't have been done.

00:40:25.012 --> 00:40:35.872
[DEREK]:She points out that Ystera, who was supposed to be part of the distraction, climbed up to be part of the raid, so leaving her post during the mission that they had.

00:40:35.872 --> 00:40:40.872
[DEREK]:So if any of these people had done what they were supposed to be doing, maybe Ciri wouldn't have had to step in.

00:40:40.872 --> 00:40:43.172
[DEREK]:So I loved that she has her confidence there.

00:40:43.532 --> 00:40:48.192
[DEREK]:And by the end of the episode, they all are bringing her on board as a member of the Rats.

00:40:48.192 --> 00:40:49.192
[DEREK]:She's just like them.

00:40:49.192 --> 00:40:55.952
[DEREK]:She comes from a bad past, which they don't know about, but they're willing to accept her on board as one of their own.

00:40:55.952 --> 00:40:56.992
[JOHN]:Yes, exactly.

00:40:56.992 --> 00:40:59.772
[JOHN]:And the townsfolk ultimately see them as heros.

00:40:59.772 --> 00:41:00.572
[DEREK]:Well, exactly, yes.

00:41:00.572 --> 00:41:05.552
[JOHN]:For putting the dodgy tax collector in his place.

00:41:05.552 --> 00:41:10.832
[JOHN]:Yes, I like the kind of little chant, I serve no master, I have no family, I am a rat.

00:41:11.332 --> 00:41:11.932
[JOHN]:Yes.

00:41:11.932 --> 00:41:16.012
[JOHN]:And I kind of do like that.

00:41:16.012 --> 00:41:23.532
[JOHN]:But also you kind of get the notion that Kayleigh is likely to, dare I say it, rat out Ciri.

00:41:23.532 --> 00:41:23.932
[DEREK]:Absolutely.

00:41:23.932 --> 00:41:29.532
[JOHN]:And so there's a nice little bit of will he, won't he in the mix there as well.

00:41:29.532 --> 00:41:31.832
[JOHN]:So yeah, no, that was really good, I thought.

00:41:31.832 --> 00:41:34.532
[DEREK]:Yeah, carrying her water poster.

00:41:34.532 --> 00:41:40.212
[JOHN]:Yeah, it was good to have that sort of, yeah, the heist element here with the rats for sure.

00:41:40.572 --> 00:41:42.272
[DEREK]:Yeah, yeah, really enjoyed that.

00:41:42.272 --> 00:41:49.012
[DEREK]:Any other notes, any other things that we should be talking about that we didn't talk about since there's only two of us and we're to pick in one point per episode, John.

00:41:49.012 --> 00:41:59.192
[JOHN]:I just like the fact that you had Yennefer trying, looking to join forces with Philippa, the mage from Rodania.

00:41:59.192 --> 00:42:04.952
[JOHN]:I just, because she's such a great character, the one that can shape shift into an owl.

00:42:05.372 --> 00:42:12.352
[JOHN]:I like the fact that Yennefer is in a sense pleading with her saying, you know, I'm looking for a sanctuary and I need you.

00:42:12.352 --> 00:42:15.912
[JOHN]:You knew the threat that we were blind to effectively.

00:42:15.912 --> 00:42:16.992
[DEREK]:Yeah.

00:42:16.992 --> 00:42:29.992
[JOHN]:And, you know, I think Philippa still playing it very cagey from the fact that in the first episode, she was betrayed by Dijkstra.

00:42:29.992 --> 00:42:33.772
[JOHN]:Because I love the two of them as the conniving couple.

00:42:34.532 --> 00:42:47.412
[JOHN]:But he effectively does a coup d'etat on her and basically says, you know, you leave now, you don't advise the king, otherwise he will find out that you killed his brother.

00:42:47.412 --> 00:42:48.532
[JOHN]:You know?

00:42:48.532 --> 00:42:51.472
[JOHN]:So I kind of liked that.

00:42:51.472 --> 00:42:58.672
[JOHN]:Yennefer kind of gets that inkling that she's been booted from the Redanian court.

00:42:58.732 --> 00:43:11.592
[JOHN]:So and at the end, you just have a real nice moment where Philippa helps Yenne kill three of Vilgefortz mages, ripping out the throats as she comes flying in.

00:43:11.592 --> 00:43:13.512
[JOHN]:So it's a real cool little moment.

00:43:13.512 --> 00:43:14.612
[JOHN]:Yeah.

00:43:14.612 --> 00:43:22.192
[JOHN]:So yeah, just thought I'd note that because Philippa and Dijkstra, two of my favorites really.

00:43:22.192 --> 00:43:23.112
[DEREK]:Absolutely.

00:43:23.112 --> 00:43:25.932
[DEREK]:Yeah, it's really cool to see them together.

00:43:25.932 --> 00:43:26.552
[DEREK]:Yeah.

00:43:26.552 --> 00:43:32.132
[JOHN]:I think the other one as well is Yennefer trying to bring on Fringilla.

00:43:33.112 --> 00:43:40.012
[JOHN]:Which is a real interesting sort of potential coupling or alliance.

00:43:40.012 --> 00:43:48.352
[JOHN]:You know, again, the nice little element here, at least for, you know, initially is, can you, can you not trust her?

00:43:48.352 --> 00:44:08.892
[JOHN]:And seemingly as she arrives at Vilgefortz hideout, his base of operations, it seems as though she pledges allegiance to Vilgefortz and in a sense betrays Yennefer, but is it just a double bluff?

00:44:08.892 --> 00:44:09.472
[DEREK]:Well, exactly.

00:44:09.472 --> 00:44:13.552
[JOHN]:So I like that kind of intrigue coming in as well.

00:44:13.552 --> 00:44:14.712
[DEREK]:Yeah, definitely.

00:44:14.712 --> 00:44:19.152
[DEREK]:The other one to mention is what's going on with Emhyr and over in Nilfgaard.

00:44:19.152 --> 00:44:27.872
[DEREK]:It's just interesting that he's already realised that Ciri is being played by somebody else, that Terran has taken the position of Ciri.

00:44:27.872 --> 00:44:32.672
[DEREK]:He had thought that he was going to be able to marry Ciri and fulfil the prophecy after he had impregnated her.

00:44:32.672 --> 00:44:37.032
[DEREK]:And he finds out quite quickly that this person is not the Ciri that he thought.

00:44:37.032 --> 00:44:43.112
[DEREK]:And the way he finds out is because he challenges her to a duel and she goes, well, I don't want to hurt you.

00:44:43.772 --> 00:44:45.232
[DEREK]:So I won't fight against you.

00:44:45.232 --> 00:44:55.432
[DEREK]:But also because she was quite lenient on the guy last episode, who had come to tell Emhyr that Geralt was on his way to kill him.

00:44:55.432 --> 00:44:59.232
[DEREK]:She didn't give the heir of being the daughter of a queen.

00:44:59.232 --> 00:45:03.612
[DEREK]:So he realizes this may not be the Ciri of the prophecy.

00:45:03.612 --> 00:45:05.892
[DEREK]:So dangerous position really for Taryn to be in.

00:45:05.892 --> 00:45:07.572
[DEREK]:Do we see what happens to her in this episode?

00:45:07.572 --> 00:45:10.972
[DEREK]:Or do we see, I don't think we see her again in these episodes.

00:45:10.972 --> 00:45:13.512
[JOHN]:We don't see her, but we have reference to her.

00:45:13.512 --> 00:45:14.072
[DEREK]:Right.

00:45:14.072 --> 00:45:14.272
[DEREK]:Right.

00:45:14.272 --> 00:45:15.572
[JOHN]:Yes.

00:45:15.572 --> 00:45:16.872
[JOHN]:I don't think he kills her.

00:45:16.872 --> 00:45:18.772
[JOHN]:He certainly doesn't kill her in that moment.

00:45:20.152 --> 00:45:29.052
[JOHN]:Maybe just put her in prism, down in the dungeon, but certainly later episodes there is reference to her.

00:45:29.052 --> 00:45:29.452
[DEREK]:Yeah.

00:45:29.452 --> 00:45:29.912
[DEREK]:Okay.

00:45:29.912 --> 00:45:30.492
[JOHN]:For sure.

00:45:30.492 --> 00:45:30.872
[DEREK]:Okay.

00:45:30.872 --> 00:45:31.612
[DEREK]:Excellent.

00:45:31.612 --> 00:45:32.412
[DEREK]:Excellent.

00:45:32.412 --> 00:45:34.612
[DEREK]:Anything else you want to talk about from the episode, John?

00:45:34.612 --> 00:45:36.532
[JOHN]:No, that's it for me.

00:45:36.532 --> 00:45:36.892
[DEREK]:Excellent.

00:45:36.892 --> 00:45:38.932
[DEREK]:Well, how would you rate episode two, John?

00:45:38.932 --> 00:45:43.492
[JOHN]:I'd give this four seventh essences out of five.

00:45:43.552 --> 00:45:44.312
[JOHN]:Very good.

00:45:44.312 --> 00:45:50.032
[JOHN]:Yeah, I just, again, I just think it's stepping up quite nicely here.

00:45:50.032 --> 00:45:51.592
[JOHN]:So I definitely enjoyed it.

00:45:51.592 --> 00:45:52.012
[JOHN]:Yeah.

00:45:52.012 --> 00:45:52.452
[DEREK]:Yeah, me too.

00:45:52.732 --> 00:45:53.692
[DEREK]:I'd probably give a four to this.

00:45:53.692 --> 00:45:55.852
[DEREK]:I'd say I would have given the threes the first one.

00:45:55.852 --> 00:46:07.072
[DEREK]:This seems like a big step up for me, especially with having that traditional opening of the monster, and the way that it handles the story seems a bit better in this episode than it did in the first.

00:46:07.072 --> 00:46:08.552
[JOHN]:Definitely.

00:46:08.552 --> 00:46:11.772
[JOHN]:But yes, on to our feedback, fellow witches.

00:46:12.572 --> 00:46:17.132
[JOHN]:For episode two, Dr Bob Phillips said, Three things struck me this episode.

00:46:17.132 --> 00:46:22.572
[JOHN]:First, at the final scene, Blondie disowning her family is not a good omen.

00:46:22.572 --> 00:46:26.712
[JOHN]:Second, you should never make fun of graveyard inscriptions.

00:46:26.712 --> 00:46:34.452
[JOHN]:And third, the herbalist is the reason why single-handed medical practices are a very bad idea.

00:46:34.452 --> 00:46:39.512
[JOHN]:Not stuck on the new grunts, and still a deficiency of bathing just yet.

00:46:40.392 --> 00:46:43.792
[JOHN]:Indeed, yes, not a lot of bathing here at all, Dr.

00:46:43.792 --> 00:46:45.572
[JOHN]:Bob.

00:46:45.572 --> 00:46:48.932
[DEREK]:We're well known for our Whiskey Watch here on TV Podcast Industries.

00:46:48.932 --> 00:46:52.012
[DEREK]:We do bath watch as well during Witcher.

00:46:52.012 --> 00:46:53.072
[DEREK]:Thanks for keeping an eye out, Dr.

00:46:53.072 --> 00:46:55.972
[DEREK]:Bob, in case you miss those moments ourselves.

00:46:55.972 --> 00:46:57.232
[JOHN]:Yes, I don't think we will.

00:46:57.232 --> 00:47:14.612
[JOHN]:I mean, maybe if I was in the middle of, I don't know, some dreadful event on the sofa, like a stroke or a heart attack or something, or maybe I just had my mouth crammed with pizza, and it's so much that I couldn't see over the sort of the wedge-shape crust.

00:47:14.612 --> 00:47:16.952
[DEREK]:I'm sure we'd rewind the episode though, I'm sure.

00:47:16.952 --> 00:47:17.972
[JOHN]:Absolutely.

00:47:17.972 --> 00:47:23.352
[DEREK]:I have it on very good authority that eventually this season there will be a bath scene, right?

00:47:23.352 --> 00:47:25.312
[DEREK]:So we will keep an eye out.

00:47:25.312 --> 00:47:26.112
[JOHN]:Excellent.

00:47:26.112 --> 00:47:27.492
[JOHN]:I should hope so as well.

00:47:28.052 --> 00:47:29.172
[JOHN]:Good stuff, Dr.

00:47:29.172 --> 00:47:29.512
[JOHN]:Bob.

00:47:29.512 --> 00:47:32.572
[JOHN]:We'll keep our fingers crossed for the bath scene.

00:47:33.352 --> 00:47:34.172
[DEREK]:Absolutely.

00:47:34.172 --> 00:47:39.452
[DEREK]:Let's head on to our third episode of The Witcher Season 4.

00:47:39.472 --> 00:47:46.592
[emcee]:Welcome to the stage, the one, the only, Geralt of Rawvia.

00:47:46.592 --> 00:47:56.792
[emcee]:And who would our silver dog be without his witchy seductress, his raven-haired beauty, Yennefer of Bangerberg?

00:47:59.452 --> 00:48:01.692
[DEREK]:Oh, I wouldn't like to lose you, Yenne.

00:48:01.772 --> 00:48:04.832
[JOHN]:Oh, but you have me, Geralt.

00:48:06.892 --> 00:48:18.172
[DEREK]:We're going to go on for Episode 3, Trial By Ordeal, this time directed by Tricia Brock, who started out in Season 3 and 4 of The Walking Dead and has done loads and loads of TV since then.

00:48:18.172 --> 00:48:20.332
[DEREK]:And most recently, Bridgerton for Netflix as well.

00:48:20.332 --> 00:48:22.652
[DEREK]:So working on many, many Netflix shows.

00:48:22.992 --> 00:48:27.132
[JOHN]:I think this is a different type of show than Bridgerton.

00:48:27.132 --> 00:48:27.912
[DEREK]:Yeah, yeah, it is.

00:48:27.912 --> 00:48:28.552
[JOHN]:Thank God.

00:48:28.552 --> 00:48:29.232
[DEREK]:It is.

00:48:29.232 --> 00:48:33.992
[JOHN]:Well done, Tricia, for getting out of that Bridgerton lock.

00:48:33.992 --> 00:48:44.472
[DEREK]:See, for Bridgerton fans, you probably don't need to be told that John's never seen an episode of Bridgerton and still thinks it's just Netflix's version of Upstairs, Downstairs or Downton Abbey.

00:48:44.472 --> 00:48:49.592
[DEREK]:What he doesn't realize is the sexiness time in Bridgerton rivals only The Witcher.

00:48:53.132 --> 00:48:56.952
[JOHN]:It's more just a period classic setting.

00:48:56.952 --> 00:48:57.832
[JOHN]:I hate them.

00:48:57.832 --> 00:48:58.332
[DEREK]:That's true.

00:48:58.452 --> 00:49:01.352
[DEREK]:I'm never a fan of costume dramas.

00:49:01.352 --> 00:49:05.592
[JOHN]:Having that was all the films ever seemed to be.

00:49:05.592 --> 00:49:08.372
[JOHN]:That's why I liked Danny Boyle because he didn't do them.

00:49:08.372 --> 00:49:08.912
[JOHN]:Yeah.

00:49:08.912 --> 00:49:10.332
[JOHN]:It was that kind of thing really.

00:49:10.332 --> 00:49:11.632
[DEREK]:Yeah, absolutely.

00:49:12.852 --> 00:49:15.692
[JOHN]:Then I suddenly became that I like certain ones.

00:49:15.712 --> 00:49:17.832
[DEREK]:Merchant Ivory was your favorite, wasn't it?

00:49:17.832 --> 00:49:19.672
[JOHN]:Yeah.

00:49:19.672 --> 00:49:25.452
[JOHN]:Anything that was probably an adaptation of Ian Foster.

00:49:25.452 --> 00:49:26.072
[DEREK]:Of course.

00:49:26.072 --> 00:49:26.572
[DEREK]:Absolutely.

00:49:26.572 --> 00:49:27.632
[DEREK]:Brilliant, Arthur.

00:49:27.632 --> 00:49:28.672
[DEREK]:Yeah.

00:49:28.852 --> 00:49:34.132
[DEREK]:I would suggest that you might actually like a bit of Bridgerton if we pointed out some episodes for you.

00:49:34.432 --> 00:49:35.432
[DEREK]:If you have some thoughts on that.

00:49:35.432 --> 00:49:36.672
[JOHN]:Baths in Bridgerton as well.

00:49:36.672 --> 00:49:38.492
[DEREK]:There are more than baths in Bridgerton.

00:49:38.492 --> 00:49:39.172
[DEREK]:Yes.

00:49:39.292 --> 00:49:47.212
[DEREK]:If you have some episodes to recommend to John to get them into Bridgerton, e-mail us to feedback at tvpodcastindustries.com with those episodes.

00:49:47.212 --> 00:49:58.432
[DEREK]:But I will point out once again because we're stuck on the Bridgerton thing, I will point out Tricia Brock started out in Season 3 and Season 4 of The Walking Dead, two of the best seasons of television, directing multiple episodes over there as well.

00:49:58.432 --> 00:50:00.112
[DEREK]:Great to have her continuing.

00:50:00.472 --> 00:50:03.492
[JOHN]:Tricia hasn't fallen too far from the tree.

00:50:03.492 --> 00:50:03.912
[DEREK]:Exactly.

00:50:04.052 --> 00:50:04.772
[DEREK]:Lots of great shows.

00:50:04.772 --> 00:50:09.372
[JOHN]:Both from horror and monsters to also a bit of rumpy-pumpy.

00:50:09.372 --> 00:50:10.312
[DEREK]:Exactly.

00:50:10.312 --> 00:50:13.872
[DEREK]:The mix of the two, Walking Dead and Bridgerton, and here she is in The Witcher.

00:50:13.872 --> 00:50:20.052
[JOHN]:I guess rumpy-pumpy though in sort of horse and carriage times, sort of like, I don't know, what, 18th century.

00:50:21.252 --> 00:50:22.692
[JOHN]:Could have been pretty horrific.

00:50:23.012 --> 00:50:24.172
[JOHN]:Anyway.

00:50:24.172 --> 00:50:25.972
[DEREK]:If that didn't happen, we wouldn't be here, John.

00:50:25.972 --> 00:50:27.852
[JOHN]:Well, that is true.

00:50:27.852 --> 00:50:30.332
[DEREK]:But the writer on this episode is Rae Benjamin.

00:50:30.332 --> 00:50:40.212
[DEREK]:She was a writer's assistant on all of Season 3 and Season 4 and also wrote the screenplay for the animated series, or animated movie, The Witcher, Sirens of the Deep, which we have watched but didn't cover in the podcast.

00:50:40.752 --> 00:50:42.092
[DEREK]:We did watch that one, though.

00:50:42.092 --> 00:50:43.772
[DEREK]:So she was the writer of that.

00:50:43.772 --> 00:50:44.832
[JOHN]:Excellent stuff.

00:50:44.832 --> 00:50:45.812
[JOHN]:Well done, Rae.

00:50:45.812 --> 00:50:46.792
[DEREK]:Absolutely.

00:50:46.792 --> 00:50:48.672
[DEREK]:Welcome aboard to the main show.

00:50:48.672 --> 00:50:49.012
[JOHN]:Indeed.

00:50:49.292 --> 00:50:51.112
[DEREK]:As your main writing credit, how about that?

00:50:51.112 --> 00:50:51.872
[JOHN]:Yes.

00:50:51.872 --> 00:50:58.352
[DEREK]:John, do you want to tell us what the game is with your synopsis for the third episode of The Witcher Season 4, Trial By Ordeal?

00:50:58.352 --> 00:50:59.652
[JOHN]:Sure.

00:50:59.652 --> 00:51:11.032
[JOHN]:At Monte Calvo, sorceresses from across the continent meet and join the Resistance, among them, Francesca, whom Yennefer kidnapped and who reveals Ciri's elder blood to the others.

00:51:11.032 --> 00:51:19.352
[JOHN]:After making contact with Fringilla, the sorceresses realise that they need to bait Vilgefortz into attacking Monte Calvo.

00:51:19.352 --> 00:51:31.872
[JOHN]:Elsewhere, Ciri and the rats rob a noblewoman, leading them to become wanted persons, and Ciri becomes increasingly ingrained with the rats despite the suspicions of Caeli, one of the members.

00:51:31.872 --> 00:51:37.232
[JOHN]:Meanwhile, Emhyr confronts Vilgefortz about his betrayal and the two-part ways.

00:51:37.232 --> 00:51:43.372
[JOHN]:Tasked with finding Ciri for Emhyr, Skelon is secretly plotting against his emperor.

00:51:43.372 --> 00:51:55.892
[JOHN]:Geralt and his group are joined by Yarpen, before saving Beata, one of the refugees, and her sister Talva in a refugee camp from being falsely burned at the stake as witches by a priest.

00:51:55.892 --> 00:51:59.072
[JOHN]:But the camp is soon attacked by Nilfgaardian soldiers.

00:51:59.432 --> 00:52:04.192
[JOHN]:Beata is killed, Talva flees, and Geralt is knocked unconscious.

00:52:04.192 --> 00:52:14.832
[JOHN]:Skelon tests a feared bounty hunter Leo Bonhart, who has a history with the rats, with finding and killing them, including Ciri.

00:52:14.832 --> 00:52:26.272
[DEREK]:Very interesting arrival there at the end, with the arrival of the new character Leo Bonhart, the witcher hunter, basically just killing hunters as he goes.

00:52:26.272 --> 00:52:28.752
[JOHN]:He seems very, very proficient.

00:52:28.752 --> 00:52:29.392
[DEREK]:Doesn't he?

00:52:29.452 --> 00:52:40.312
[DEREK]:When he was introduced and the witcher was seeing him from across the clearing, I thought it was just one witcher sign on him and he had the same kind of clothing as Geralt wears.

00:52:40.312 --> 00:52:46.792
[DEREK]:I was like, oh, it's just a new witcher that we just haven't met before, and then they get into the battle and I'm going, this guy's pretty brutal.

00:52:46.792 --> 00:52:58.512
[DEREK]:Really surprised to find out that the actor that plays him is Shalto Copley who was in District 9, he was in Chepie and he was in the A-Team as Howling Mad Murdoch in the A-Team.

00:52:58.512 --> 00:53:09.012
[DEREK]:So he's a guy with a pretty big career a couple of years ago and he just is unrecognizable here as a Scottish accent I think is fantastic given that he's South African himself.

00:53:09.052 --> 00:53:10.492
[DEREK]:So really cool.

00:53:10.492 --> 00:53:13.472
[DEREK]:Another major actor popping up in The Witcher.

00:53:13.472 --> 00:53:14.392
[JOHN]:Yeah, absolutely.

00:53:14.392 --> 00:53:15.412
[DEREK]:It's called Sim.

00:53:15.412 --> 00:53:16.032
[JOHN]:Yeah.

00:53:16.032 --> 00:53:18.452
[JOHN]:I mean, it was such a great scene anyway.

00:53:18.452 --> 00:53:18.972
[DEREK]:Yeah.

00:53:18.972 --> 00:53:27.472
[JOHN]:An introduction again, another great introduction, I think we just from last episode and now this time with Leo, right at the end.

00:53:27.472 --> 00:53:29.372
[JOHN]:So yeah, did enjoy that.

00:53:29.372 --> 00:53:29.552
[JOHN]:Yeah.

00:53:29.552 --> 00:53:34.732
[DEREK]:And the fact that he's going to be sent out to find the rats and kill them all including Ciri.

00:53:34.732 --> 00:53:36.192
[JOHN]:Well, that was the other nice thing.

00:53:36.232 --> 00:53:45.612
[JOHN]:The nice little twist here was Skellam as well, who's the advisor and spymaster, the Dijkstra element for Nilfgaard.

00:53:45.612 --> 00:53:45.992
[DEREK]:Yes.

00:53:45.992 --> 00:53:46.872
[JOHN]:So it was really good.

00:53:46.872 --> 00:53:48.092
[JOHN]:Yeah, definitely.

00:53:48.092 --> 00:53:50.212
[DEREK]:But that's not our big moment from the episode.

00:53:50.212 --> 00:53:52.632
[DEREK]:John, what's your big moment from episode 3?

00:53:52.632 --> 00:53:58.752
[JOHN]:Yes, mine is we actually do get to see Tops off The Witcher this time.

00:53:59.692 --> 00:54:09.172
[JOHN]:But it is Yennefer of Bangerberg as we get the parody porn of Yennefer and Geralt at the start.

00:54:09.172 --> 00:54:11.232
[JOHN]:What a hilarious opening.

00:54:11.232 --> 00:54:18.272
[JOHN]:We do have Geralt here with his top off, not in a bath, but certainly getting sweaty.

00:54:18.312 --> 00:54:18.992
[DEREK]:Yes, he is.

00:54:18.992 --> 00:54:19.632
[DEREK]:Absolutely.

00:54:19.632 --> 00:54:20.932
[DEREK]:It is hilarious.

00:54:20.932 --> 00:54:21.892
[JOHN]:I did like this.

00:54:21.892 --> 00:54:44.012
[JOHN]:And I did like the fact that Yenne is there and she is like kind of smirking at it as she's there to try and recruit the elf queen Francesca who has lost all hope, but Yenne kind of doesn't want to hear this and turns her instead into a statue because she needs her.

00:54:44.492 --> 00:55:06.432
[JOHN]:And she heads off to Yenne's sort of merry band at the Monte Calvo Castle, which is home to this council then, a conclave of mages that Yennefer has brought together to counter Vilgefortz.

00:55:06.432 --> 00:55:15.112
[DEREK]:Yeah, there was a moment when she's talking to Francesca and trying to convince her to come with her and then she just says she kind of gives up on us because she's done all this convincing.

00:55:15.652 --> 00:55:21.032
[DEREK]:You get this thing with Yennefer, she has like a level that she gets to and then just gets frustrated and goes off.

00:55:21.032 --> 00:55:23.132
[DEREK]:Look, I'm not telling the same story again.

00:55:23.132 --> 00:55:33.712
[DEREK]:And I love that she turns her into a statue you said, but what it looked like to me is like she turned her into a chess piece, which just has a little connection to why she needs Francesca specifically.

00:55:33.712 --> 00:55:35.212
[DEREK]:Francesca is very powerful.

00:55:35.212 --> 00:55:36.712
[DEREK]:She's the former Elven Queen.

00:55:36.712 --> 00:55:40.412
[DEREK]:This is a person that I absolutely have to have whether she wants to come or not.

00:55:40.412 --> 00:55:41.232
[DEREK]:She is a chess piece.

00:55:41.232 --> 00:55:43.832
[DEREK]:She's really important and then sticks her into her pocket and off she goes.

00:55:44.412 --> 00:55:51.192
[DEREK]:I just thought it was a really funny way to shorten the story down the way they tend to do in The Witcher.

00:55:51.192 --> 00:55:52.632
[DEREK]:I was like, right, I've had enough.

00:55:52.632 --> 00:55:53.852
[DEREK]:Can't convince you, right?

00:55:53.852 --> 00:55:55.912
[DEREK]:You're a chess piece in my pocket, off I go.

00:55:55.912 --> 00:55:57.132
[JOHN]:Yeah, exactly.

00:55:59.692 --> 00:56:01.172
[JOHN]:Yeah, so I did like this.

00:56:01.372 --> 00:56:04.172
[JOHN]:I did like it progressed as well.

00:56:04.172 --> 00:56:07.232
[JOHN]:Yennefer's council, this call to arms.

00:56:07.232 --> 00:56:10.252
[JOHN]:She says, no future if we don't survive this.

00:56:10.252 --> 00:56:27.812
[JOHN]:Ultimately, she does bring Francesca with her to the castle, but also emotionally and intelligently brings Francesca into this kind of conclave council as well.

00:56:28.452 --> 00:56:34.092
[JOHN]:You have Francesca explaining how important Ciri is.

00:56:34.132 --> 00:56:49.452
[JOHN]:This is the Child of Destiny, or Hen Ikea, and that Ciri is this descendant of an ancient bloodline that is taken from a union of man and elf after the conjunction.

00:56:49.452 --> 00:56:56.012
[JOHN]:So I think it's the first time it's really been in that sense made public.

00:56:56.012 --> 00:56:56.392
[DEREK]:Yes.

00:56:56.392 --> 00:57:00.452
[JOHN]:And because it was always a very secret mission.

00:57:00.452 --> 00:57:03.452
[DEREK]:Exactly, just in case the information got revealed.

00:57:04.652 --> 00:57:15.552
[DEREK]:And it kind of explains back to why Emhyr wants so much to have Ciri by his side and believes the prophecy needs to be fulfilled with him marrying Ciri and having a child with her.

00:57:15.552 --> 00:57:26.692
[DEREK]:So I kind of like that Yenne takes that on board with all the other things she knows about Ciri and says, yes, everybody has a claim on Ciri in the whole of the continent.

00:57:26.692 --> 00:57:31.512
[DEREK]:Everybody has a reason that she needs to be with their faction or with their side.

00:57:32.832 --> 00:57:42.892
[DEREK]:She respects, of course, the Queen of the Elves for giving her story and understanding that that is really important to their entire race.

00:57:42.892 --> 00:57:49.392
[DEREK]:But there is also everybody has that claim or some claim on Ciri, and she just wants Ciri to be safe.

00:57:49.392 --> 00:57:50.892
[JOHN]:Yeah, absolutely.

00:57:50.892 --> 00:58:03.092
[JOHN]:I think the other important thing here that we find out is that Fringilla is able to communicate with Yennefer and the other mages there at Monte Calvo.

00:58:04.332 --> 00:58:08.972
[JOHN]:But it ultimately again indicates that Vilgefortz base is hidden by magic.

00:58:08.972 --> 00:58:19.332
[JOHN]:Again, you're thinking is this Fringilla double bluffing Yennefer, or is she being genuine and double bluffing Vilgefortz here?

00:58:19.332 --> 00:58:38.132
[JOHN]:Because ultimately after that message from Fringilla, and then Yennefer's strategy is that, well, rather than attacking his base, we must fight him here at Monte Calvo and lure him in to kill him effectively.

00:58:38.132 --> 00:58:40.552
[JOHN]:Which of course ultimately ups the stakes here.

00:58:40.552 --> 00:58:41.692
[DEREK]:Yes, absolutely.

00:58:41.692 --> 00:58:52.152
[JOHN]:So I kind of liked how this whole evolution of Yennefer's conclave at Monte Calvo kind of came from Yennefer of Bangorburg.

00:58:54.632 --> 00:58:55.532
[DEREK]:It's so good.

00:58:55.632 --> 00:58:57.352
[DEREK]:I really enjoyed that.

00:58:57.352 --> 00:59:07.572
[DEREK]:And you're right, there's just something about having watched three seasons of the show and seeing every character turn and every other character and then turn back and then join up with them.

00:59:07.572 --> 00:59:10.632
[DEREK]:And then actually be a backstabber.

00:59:10.632 --> 00:59:13.932
[DEREK]:It's very difficult to take anything anybody says seriously at this stage.

00:59:15.632 --> 00:59:21.652
[DEREK]:Are you really saying that to the person or are you saying that to the audience and then you're going to tell the audience that you're lying to them next time.

00:59:21.652 --> 00:59:22.912
[DEREK]:So yeah, you're right.

00:59:23.072 --> 00:59:28.072
[DEREK]:It's very difficult to believe what's happening with Fringilla, especially because it's happening so quickly.

00:59:28.072 --> 00:59:32.892
[DEREK]:There's no moments where they're convincingly on the side of Yenne at all.

00:59:32.892 --> 00:59:35.752
[DEREK]:So we will see in the final battle who is really on their side, I guess.

00:59:38.252 --> 00:59:48.352
[DEREK]:My big moment that I wanted to talk about from the episode is when Geralt and the traveling companions are being reunited or being brought back to the refugee camp.

00:59:48.612 --> 00:59:55.432
[DEREK]:There's lots of refugees that were traveling with the group and they were concerned that they'd never be able to find their family.

00:59:55.432 --> 01:00:06.692
[DEREK]:When they get back there, Beata, who's the young girl that's been traveling with them, is trying to find her sister and she finds out that actually her sister is on trial for being a witch.

01:00:06.692 --> 01:00:21.552
[DEREK]:Because with everything else going on in the entire continent, with mages battling against elves, with Nilfgaardians and Scruittal going on, loads of different factions, sure, right in the middle of that, why not have some priests coming out and going, sure, it's all the witch's fault.

01:00:21.552 --> 01:00:25.732
[DEREK]:Burn young girls who might possibly be witches.

01:00:25.732 --> 01:00:27.612
[DEREK]:Another thing for Geralt to deal with.

01:00:27.612 --> 01:00:34.772
[DEREK]:You can't have a land like the continent going on and just be able to live your life normally.

01:00:34.772 --> 01:00:36.652
[DEREK]:You have to be accused of being a witch as well.

01:00:36.652 --> 01:00:38.932
[JOHN]:Well, that is true, yes, exactly.

01:00:38.932 --> 01:00:40.552
[DEREK]:You're a refugee from another country.

01:00:40.552 --> 01:00:41.372
[DEREK]:Probably a witch.

01:00:41.372 --> 01:00:44.412
[DEREK]:That's a fire to them and their young sisters.

01:00:44.412 --> 01:00:52.312
[DEREK]:So Geralt has to try and get them out of the situation, but he's being told, he's being held back because he's being told there's no way he can win the fight.

01:00:52.812 --> 01:00:56.992
[DEREK]:So Geralt proposes a trial by fighting with the priest.

01:00:57.052 --> 01:00:59.132
[JOHN]:Yes, exactly.

01:00:59.132 --> 01:01:02.752
[JOHN]:But the priest has managed to kind of squirm out of it.

01:01:02.752 --> 01:01:04.572
[DEREK]:I wouldn't like a trial by fighting against a witch.

01:01:04.572 --> 01:01:05.832
[JOHN]:No, certainly not against Geralt.

01:01:05.832 --> 01:01:08.432
[JOHN]:I mean, you can see him like, oh, this is ridiculous.

01:01:08.432 --> 01:01:18.612
[JOHN]:He does squirm out of it to do a trial by ordeal where he has to get a smoking red hot horseshoe out of a fire pit.

01:01:18.612 --> 01:01:21.952
[JOHN]:But Regis just effectively gets it without being burnt.

01:01:22.132 --> 01:01:31.272
[JOHN]:So again, the intrigue around Regis mounts as to what are you doing and how are you doing this, Regis?

01:01:31.272 --> 01:01:46.052
[JOHN]:But just before any resolution between Geralt and this priest can happen, you suddenly have this whole attack on this refugee camp by Nilfgaardian soldiers.

01:01:46.052 --> 01:01:51.332
[JOHN]:And you get then the Witcher being evasively knocked out.

01:01:51.332 --> 01:02:00.292
[JOHN]:And Beata, despite being saved from the priest, is killed by the soldiers in the attack by Nilfgaardian soldiers.

01:02:00.292 --> 01:02:01.732
[DEREK]:And her sister gets away, doesn't she?

01:02:01.732 --> 01:02:02.152
[JOHN]:Yes.

01:02:02.152 --> 01:02:05.672
[DEREK]:Talva, that's the sister's name, she gets away.

01:02:05.672 --> 01:02:08.872
[DEREK]:So yeah, just real surprises as to what happens here.

01:02:09.352 --> 01:02:13.952
[DEREK]:I love that as they're approaching, they're going, well, there's no way these people are going to find their family.

01:02:13.952 --> 01:02:17.812
[DEREK]:They find their family and there's witch burning going on.

01:02:17.812 --> 01:02:24.992
[DEREK]:And then Geralt is able to save them, but they get attacked and one of them gets killed anyway because of the warring factions that are going on.

01:02:24.992 --> 01:02:27.392
[DEREK]:So it is a continent at war, really.

01:02:27.392 --> 01:02:30.912
[DEREK]:This is what's really being told as we get into the third episode.

01:02:30.912 --> 01:02:33.312
[DEREK]:Again, everything's going down.

01:02:33.312 --> 01:02:43.492
[DEREK]:Nobody can really live their lives without being involved or being dragged into this massive battle that's going on between all the different factions across the country.

01:02:43.532 --> 01:02:47.432
[DEREK]:And meanwhile, Ciri's off with the rats enjoying a fair?

01:02:47.432 --> 01:02:48.592
[JOHN]:Yes, exactly.

01:02:48.592 --> 01:02:55.012
[JOHN]:Yeah, it's all very hey nonny nonny going on with the old rats at the moment.

01:02:55.012 --> 01:02:57.552
[DEREK]:But they are being watched everywhere they go, though.

01:02:57.552 --> 01:03:01.572
[DEREK]:Because they're now even more wanted than they were in the past.

01:03:01.572 --> 01:03:02.892
[JOHN]:That is true, yeah.

01:03:03.612 --> 01:03:06.072
[DEREK]:Anything else about the episode that you want to talk about, John?

01:03:07.872 --> 01:03:09.072
[JOHN]:No, not for me.

01:03:10.312 --> 01:03:15.252
[JOHN]:I think we've kind of covered all the bases, really.

01:03:15.252 --> 01:03:19.352
[DEREK]:I just wanted to mention it's great to see Yarpen back, Yarpen the Dwarf with a hammer.

01:03:19.352 --> 01:03:22.892
[DEREK]:I just kind of like his relationship with this crew.

01:03:22.892 --> 01:03:30.532
[DEREK]:It always feels cool when you have a show that's been away for a very long time and then some characters kind of weave themselves back into the show as we go along.

01:03:30.532 --> 01:03:32.072
[DEREK]:It's always fun, isn't it?

01:03:32.072 --> 01:03:33.492
[JOHN]:Yeah, definitely.

01:03:33.492 --> 01:03:34.052
[DEREK]:Fantastic.

01:03:34.052 --> 01:03:35.332
[DEREK]:John, what's your rating for this one?

01:03:35.532 --> 01:03:39.752
[JOHN]:I would give this as well a four bangers and mash out of five.

01:03:39.752 --> 01:03:40.292
[DEREK]:Oh, very good.

01:03:40.552 --> 01:03:42.552
[DEREK]:Is that because of the sexy relationship on the stage?

01:03:42.552 --> 01:03:43.752
[JOHN]:It certainly is.

01:03:43.752 --> 01:03:45.992
[JOHN]:In fact, did I say bangers and mash?

01:03:45.992 --> 01:03:47.992
[JOHN]:What I meant to say was banger-burg-cake.

01:03:49.212 --> 01:03:50.012
[DEREK]:Very good, John.

01:03:50.012 --> 01:03:50.992
[DEREK]:Very good.

01:03:50.992 --> 01:03:51.532
[JOHN]:Rather than banger-burg.

01:03:51.532 --> 01:03:53.032
[JOHN]:The new Battenberg, exactly.

01:03:53.032 --> 01:03:54.032
[DEREK]:Fantastic.

01:03:54.032 --> 01:03:58.192
[DEREK]:I think we've got one more episode to cover, but before that, we've got some feedback in on this episode from Dr.

01:03:58.192 --> 01:03:58.952
[DEREK]:Bob again.

01:03:58.952 --> 01:04:00.332
[JOHN]:We certainly do.

01:04:00.332 --> 01:04:02.152
[JOHN]:On episode three, Dr.

01:04:02.152 --> 01:04:11.692
[JOHN]:Bob said, after so much traveling, fighting, fire, avoiding and bad negotiation, surely it's time for Geralt to have a bath.

01:04:11.692 --> 01:04:15.572
[JOHN]:Indeed, I think that wound does need looking after Dr.

01:04:15.572 --> 01:04:15.812
[JOHN]:Bob.

01:04:15.812 --> 01:04:17.872
[JOHN]:So another little bit of bathing.

01:04:17.872 --> 01:04:22.392
[JOHN]:I don't think you can just chuck an elixir onto it and hope for the best.

01:04:23.252 --> 01:04:27.252
[DEREK]:You'd want to kind of wash out his wounds before they get treated, wouldn't you?

01:04:27.252 --> 01:04:28.852
[JOHN]:Yeah, definitely.

01:04:28.852 --> 01:04:31.312
[JOHN]:But at least we did get banger-burg-cake.

01:04:32.472 --> 01:04:35.312
[JOHN]:That can keep us satiated for a while.

01:04:35.312 --> 01:04:36.152
[DEREK]:For one more episode.

01:04:36.152 --> 01:04:38.252
[JOHN]:Yes, indeed.

01:04:38.252 --> 01:04:38.512
[JOHN]:Dr.

01:04:38.512 --> 01:04:48.432
[JOHN]:Bob continues, Laying bets on Fred Ratt with Daphne, Shaggy, Velma and Scooby, turning in Goldilocks by episode 5.

01:04:48.432 --> 01:04:59.172
[JOHN]:Following that, Velma will run off and the pair of princesses hole up in a ruined castle, ready for a magic portal to bring Mummy and a horde of angry horsemen with Daddy.

01:04:59.232 --> 01:05:00.092
[DEREK]:Fantastic.

01:05:02.032 --> 01:05:03.352
[DEREK]:That's the entire team of Ratt's.

01:05:03.352 --> 01:05:06.172
[DEREK]:I guess you didn't take down the names of those characters, Dr.

01:05:06.172 --> 01:05:07.132
[DEREK]:Bob.

01:05:07.192 --> 01:05:09.812
[JOHN]:But Fred Ratt must be Kayleigh.

01:05:09.812 --> 01:05:11.012
[DEREK]:That's Kayleigh, absolutely.

01:05:11.012 --> 01:05:11.632
[DEREK]:Yep.

01:05:11.632 --> 01:05:15.872
[DEREK]:And the rest of the members of the Ratt's are all members of the Scooby gang.

01:05:15.872 --> 01:05:17.752
[JOHN]:Yes, they certainly are.

01:05:17.752 --> 01:05:18.392
[DEREK]:Love it, Dr.

01:05:18.392 --> 01:05:19.132
[DEREK]:Bob.

01:05:19.132 --> 01:05:38.752
[DEREK]:Yeah, but I'm expecting there will be a way that that magic portal or the ones that have been blocked by Vilgefortz will be opened up and we will see Geralt on one side and Yenne on the other side, both with their angry teams to come in and join up with Ciri as we guess the team reunited, the family reunited at the end.

01:05:38.752 --> 01:05:39.652
[JOHN]:Definitely.

01:05:39.652 --> 01:05:40.712
[DEREK]:Let's hope so, huh?

01:05:40.712 --> 01:05:41.532
[JOHN]:Yeah.

01:05:41.532 --> 01:05:42.172
[JOHN]:Good stuff.

01:05:42.172 --> 01:05:42.732
[JOHN]:Thanks, Dr.

01:05:42.732 --> 01:05:43.312
[JOHN]:Bob.

01:05:43.312 --> 01:05:43.872
[DEREK]:Absolutely.

01:05:43.872 --> 01:05:51.072
[DEREK]:On to our final episode of the four episodes that we're chatting about this time, episode four, A Sermon of Survival.

01:05:51.072 --> 01:05:52.772
[DYKSTRA]:I was worried, you know.

01:05:53.872 --> 01:05:55.332
[DYKSTRA]:Seemed like all the fight had gone out of you.

01:05:56.592 --> 01:05:58.712
[GERALT]:Unbind me and we'll see.

01:05:58.712 --> 01:06:03.652
[DYKSTRA]:Your arrival has brought a potential solution to a pesky problem I have.

01:06:03.652 --> 01:06:06.312
[DYKSTRA]:Alas, you will die.

01:06:06.312 --> 01:06:07.812
[DYKSTRA]:But not without purpose.

01:06:09.392 --> 01:06:12.912
[GERALT]:Why does everyone always wish to make a sermon of my death?

01:06:12.912 --> 01:06:15.832
[DYKSTRA]:But a good sermon can change everything.

01:06:15.832 --> 01:06:19.712
[GERALT]:It's pointless as serving a king will always be replaced by another.

01:06:22.352 --> 01:06:23.372
[DYKSTRA]:It's not pointless.

01:06:25.352 --> 01:06:30.152
[DYKSTRA]:Everyone has a role, even your bard friend.

01:06:32.752 --> 01:06:39.032
[DYKSTRA]:From this moment, rest assured, nothing is personal.

01:06:39.032 --> 01:06:41.612
[GERALT]:Why is it that you want me dead?

01:06:41.612 --> 01:06:44.472
[DYKSTRA]:Oh, my dear boy, haven't I made myself clear?

01:06:45.612 --> 01:06:46.712
[DYKSTRA]:Not everything's about you.

01:06:48.832 --> 01:06:55.232
[JOHN]:Let us get into the pulpit of the Witcher, aka the Red Hot Bath, and let us pray.

01:06:55.232 --> 01:06:55.992
[DEREK]:Not this time.

01:06:55.992 --> 01:06:57.812
[JOHN]:No, certainly isn't.

01:06:57.812 --> 01:07:09.692
[DEREK]:But once again, this episode directed by Tricia Brock, who directed the third episode of the show, and episode written by Troy Dangerfield, a former staff writer on the show who previously co-wrote the finale of The Witcher Season 3.

01:07:09.692 --> 01:07:11.712
[DEREK]:So stand on board for Season 4.

01:07:11.712 --> 01:07:12.872
[JOHN]:Excellent stuff.

01:07:12.872 --> 01:07:17.612
[DEREK]:John, do you want to tell us what they gave us for Episode 4, A Sermon of Survival?

01:07:17.612 --> 01:07:18.352
[JOHN]:Sure.

01:07:18.352 --> 01:07:22.792
[JOHN]:Geralt and Yaskier are captured by troops belonging to the Northern Kingdoms.

01:07:22.792 --> 01:07:32.912
[JOHN]:Dijkstra finds them and tortures Geralt to create a rift between Yaskier and Radovid, so that Radovid will focus on his rural duties rather than his personal issues.

01:07:32.912 --> 01:07:39.012
[JOHN]:The scheme is seemingly successful and Yaskier chooses his friendship with Geralt over his feelings for Radovid.

01:07:39.012 --> 01:07:49.492
[JOHN]:Meanwhile, Triss brings Vesemir and his witches to Monte Calvo to help defend against Vilgefortz and the sorcerers are trained in armed combat, like the witches.

01:07:49.492 --> 01:07:55.512
[JOHN]:Ciri learns that the rats have a history with Leo Bonhart, but they are unaware that he is pursuing them.

01:07:55.512 --> 01:08:04.172
[JOHN]:Ciri also opens up to Mistle about her background, revealing that she knew Geralt of Rivia, though she doesn't reveal her identity.

01:08:04.172 --> 01:08:10.992
[JOHN]:As Radovid assumes control over his army, he also exiles Dijkstra, unwilling to be manipulated by him any longer.

01:08:11.412 --> 01:08:17.712
[JOHN]:As Eva takes him away, Geralt and Yaskier are saved by Regis before parting ways with the group.

01:08:17.712 --> 01:08:21.272
[JOHN]:Geralt reveals to Yaskier that Regis is a vampire.

01:08:21.272 --> 01:08:28.792
[JOHN]:The camp soon comes under attack, as Milva, Yarpen, Zoltan and Percival arrive to save Geralt and Yaskier.

01:08:28.792 --> 01:08:34.832
[JOHN]:Geralt encounters Cahir and spurs his life, as he helps him escape when Yaskier is wounded.

01:08:34.832 --> 01:08:39.892
[DEREK]:Oh, and here we are with a massive, really interesting battle at the end of the episode.

01:08:40.592 --> 01:08:43.592
[DEREK]:This is definitely one that made me want to go on to the fifth episode.

01:08:43.712 --> 01:08:48.652
[JOHN]:Oh, yeah, definitely, really enjoyed this episode.

01:08:48.652 --> 01:08:54.972
[DEREK]:In fact, fellow watchers, I had to tell John to stop, he was going to go, look, we don't have to write notes, we just watch the next episode, we can watch it.

01:08:54.972 --> 01:08:57.772
[DEREK]:But we're holding off until next week to watch them.

01:08:57.772 --> 01:09:02.212
[DEREK]:We've watched four episodes pretty much in a row, so that we could podcast about them.

01:09:02.212 --> 01:09:06.472
[DEREK]:So we want to hold off for the week before we get on to the next episode.

01:09:06.472 --> 01:09:08.472
[DEREK]:But a great little battle in there.

01:09:09.612 --> 01:09:10.632
[DEREK]:Lots of interesting battles there.

01:09:10.632 --> 01:09:12.152
[JOHN]:Yeah, definitely.

01:09:12.152 --> 01:09:13.092
[JOHN]:Really good.

01:09:13.092 --> 01:09:16.552
[DEREK]:So John, where do you want to start with your big moment from episode four?

01:09:16.552 --> 01:09:23.412
[JOHN]:Do you know, because we haven't really discussed them yet, but I'm going to say Dijkstra.

01:09:23.412 --> 01:09:26.332
[JOHN]:I absolutely love this character in Philippa.

01:09:26.512 --> 01:09:40.352
[JOHN]:I love the Rodanians and I just really enjoyed how you have King Radovid here, being manipulated by Dijkstra here.

01:09:42.192 --> 01:09:48.032
[JOHN]:Dijkstra is effectively using Geralt and Yaskia to break his king, to harden him up.

01:09:48.032 --> 01:10:01.892
[JOHN]:You have this really interesting moment at the start where you have Dijkstra and the Generals from Rodania saying, we need or the North needs a win.

01:10:02.532 --> 01:10:15.112
[JOHN]:They have it planned out, but Radovid is just drinking wine and one of the Generals very flippantly says, well, maybe more wine would loosen your tongue, so you could tell us and give us these orders.

01:10:15.112 --> 01:10:23.872
[JOHN]:You see Radovid here really being quite meek and shy in a sense.

01:10:23.872 --> 01:10:44.992
[JOHN]:You then have Dijkstra using Geralt and Jaskier, effectively saving them from being beheaded by a Cintron General, who's part of the armies of the Allies of the Northern Armies.

01:10:44.992 --> 01:10:46.512
[DEREK]:Yeah, like I started to get a bit confused here.

01:10:46.512 --> 01:10:51.772
[DEREK]:I thought last episode it was the Nilfgaardians that had attacked the refugee camp.

01:10:51.772 --> 01:10:58.792
[DEREK]:And then at the start of this episode, we have the Cintrons coming in and then the Rodanians coming in as well, all attacking the refugee camp.

01:10:58.792 --> 01:11:01.432
[DEREK]:I was kind of going, was it the Nilfgaardians last episode?

01:11:01.432 --> 01:11:03.112
[DEREK]:Or did you just take note of that incorrectly?

01:11:03.112 --> 01:11:07.712
[DEREK]:But no, that's how the battle is raging on all over the continent.

01:11:08.032 --> 01:11:15.132
[DEREK]:There was a Nilfgaardian attack last time and then the Cintrons came in and attacked again, taking over the camp with the Rodanians.

01:11:15.132 --> 01:11:19.292
[JOHN]:And actually by the end of this episode, another Nilfgaardian attack.

01:11:19.292 --> 01:11:24.652
[JOHN]:So yeah, they're obviously very much close to the front lines.

01:11:24.652 --> 01:11:33.832
[JOHN]:But you have this notion that really Raedevil is not being the king he needs to be during wartime.

01:11:33.952 --> 01:12:03.772
[JOHN]:And you have Dijkstra manipulating him, but ultimately, as a result of this, the use by Dijkstra, you have King Raedevil really showing his true colours when with Jaskier, where ultimately Jaskier has given this ultimatum to choose between Raedevil or going off with your friends to save this girl.

01:12:04.132 --> 01:12:20.072
[JOHN]:It's almost like you see the pettiness, the childishness of Raedevil, and you see actually how Jaskier is way more mature than Raedevil.

01:12:20.072 --> 01:12:20.372
[JOHN]:Yeah.

01:12:20.532 --> 01:12:22.792
[DEREK]:He also loves Geralt more than he loves Raedevil.

01:12:22.812 --> 01:12:23.452
[JOHN]:He does.

01:12:23.452 --> 01:12:29.352
[JOHN]:But I love the fact that the hug at the start, you can see that there is this connection.

01:12:29.392 --> 01:12:29.732
[DEREK]:Yeah.

01:12:29.732 --> 01:12:31.772
[JOHN]:And you kind of go, oh, this is really good.

01:12:31.772 --> 01:12:42.852
[JOHN]:And then you realize what we've seen of Raedevil previously, his shallowness and him thinking of himself above Jaskier comes again.

01:12:43.272 --> 01:12:48.792
[JOHN]:Despite all this kind of seemingly positive moves that's happening.

01:12:48.792 --> 01:12:53.952
[JOHN]:And so ultimately, Dijkstra's ploy has worked here.

01:12:53.952 --> 01:12:58.432
[JOHN]:It's taken him out of this alcoholic funk.

01:13:00.692 --> 01:13:11.812
[JOHN]:But in a sense, too much, because then you have Raedevil exiling Dijkstra from Radamia.

01:13:11.812 --> 01:13:22.912
[JOHN]:Because he has created this strong king in Radavid, who knows how Dijkstra operates, knows this was a result of him.

01:13:24.012 --> 01:13:34.052
[JOHN]:And ultimately, then, after assuming that position, the camp is immediately attacked by the Nilfgaardians.

01:13:34.052 --> 01:13:43.132
[JOHN]:In fact, one of the generals, the one that flippantly told him to drink more wine so that he might actually say something meaningful, gets killed.

01:13:44.132 --> 01:13:44.952
[DEREK]:I do love that moment.

01:13:44.952 --> 01:13:50.832
[DEREK]:I love that Radavid grabs him by the head, throws him to the table and goes, don't ever speak to me like that again.

01:13:50.832 --> 01:13:55.792
[DEREK]:You think it's going to be him that's going to be killed and executed, like what we'd seen Emhyr do.

01:13:55.792 --> 01:14:03.032
[DEREK]:But there's some great lines there between Radavid and Dijkstra, where Dijkstra's saying, I would never have done anything to hurt you.

01:14:03.032 --> 01:14:06.952
[DEREK]:All I wanted was our lands to be ruled by a strong king.

01:14:06.952 --> 01:14:09.472
[DEREK]:And Radavid goes, well, you've got your wish.

01:14:09.672 --> 01:14:10.852
[DEREK]:You've accomplished that.

01:14:10.852 --> 01:14:12.932
[DEREK]:I am now a strong king effectively.

01:14:12.932 --> 01:14:16.832
[DEREK]:And Dijkstra going, but I don't have anything else.

01:14:16.832 --> 01:14:18.132
[DEREK]:You can't banish me.

01:14:18.132 --> 01:14:21.412
[DEREK]:And Radavid says to him, that's exactly the reason you are to be banished.

01:14:21.472 --> 01:14:24.332
[DEREK]:You don't have anything else, which makes you a threat, you know?

01:14:24.892 --> 01:14:26.092
[DEREK]:Love that moment between them.

01:14:26.092 --> 01:14:33.072
[DEREK]:Because as Radavid stands up and becomes and takes on this role of the king, he does get much stronger.

01:14:33.072 --> 01:14:43.312
[DEREK]:Because there's definitely moments between Yaskier and Radavid that I thought what he'd originally wanted, actually, before he took over the seat of power was to run away with Yaskier.

01:14:43.312 --> 01:14:44.792
[DEREK]:Yeah, he tells Yaskier that at the start.

01:14:44.792 --> 01:14:50.752
[DEREK]:And I think if he'd said to Yaskier at that moment, I'll join you and Geralt and we'll go off and get Ciri.

01:14:50.852 --> 01:14:53.312
[DEREK]:And then we can live our lives together in the future.

01:14:53.312 --> 01:14:56.352
[DEREK]:Yaskier would have absolutely said, yes, brilliant plan.

01:14:56.352 --> 01:14:57.032
[DEREK]:Off we go.

01:14:57.032 --> 01:15:07.392
[DEREK]:But not you stay here, give up all of your friends, give up this search for Ciri and advise me to become the leader of Redania.

01:15:07.392 --> 01:15:10.212
[DEREK]:Yeah, that definitely wasn't going to be an option for Yaskier.

01:15:10.212 --> 01:15:19.812
[DEREK]:But you can tell in that conversation when he's back in the tent with Geralt, when he's saying to him, I could feel the pull again, I could feel it from him.

01:15:19.892 --> 01:15:23.612
[DEREK]:I could still feel that attraction that there is between the two of us.

01:15:23.612 --> 01:15:24.632
[DEREK]:So that's it.

01:15:24.632 --> 01:15:33.592
[JOHN]:He kind of goes from gibbering fool who can't make a decision to this strong authoritative king.

01:15:33.592 --> 01:15:44.732
[JOHN]:At the same time, he goes from someone who sees a path to a relationship, a lover, a friend, but spurns it.

01:15:44.732 --> 01:15:50.472
[JOHN]:Purely for his own ego to be sort of stroked, really.

01:15:50.872 --> 01:15:55.492
[JOHN]:In a sense, it is that development from King Radovid that we saw in the last season.

01:15:55.912 --> 01:15:56.852
[JOHN]:I do like that.

01:15:57.512 --> 01:16:05.092
[JOHN]:I think it's just really good because I just love these characters of Radovid, Dijkstra, and Philippa as well.

01:16:05.092 --> 01:16:13.652
[JOHN]:That's why I was so annoyed when she kind of got ostracized by Dijkstra.

01:16:13.652 --> 01:16:31.392
[JOHN]:But I'm hoping that Dijkstra being the cunning little advisor that he is, managed to get out of the camp in all the hullabaloo of the attack by the Nilf Guardians and can make his way back to Philippa.

01:16:32.032 --> 01:16:39.312
[JOHN]:Graveling, but ultimately, I can imagine Philippa bringing him on board, maybe?

01:16:39.312 --> 01:16:40.052
[JOHN]:I don't know.

01:16:40.052 --> 01:16:45.712
[JOHN]:But equally, we don't know whether Radovid would escape or survive that attack.

01:16:45.712 --> 01:16:46.112
[DEREK]:Exactly.

01:16:46.112 --> 01:16:52.432
[DEREK]:It could be Dijkstra, by the amount of people that are being killed, he becomes next in line for the throne at this rate.

01:16:52.432 --> 01:16:55.692
[DEREK]:We have no idea what's going to happen in that battle at all.

01:16:55.692 --> 01:16:58.332
[DEREK]:I will say his plan is very complicated to me.

01:16:58.432 --> 01:17:05.412
[DEREK]:I had to think about it quite a lot to work out why Dijkstra was trying to get Geralt to scream out.

01:17:05.412 --> 01:17:06.772
[DEREK]:Yeah.

01:17:06.772 --> 01:17:13.132
[DEREK]:That would be the thing that would make Radovid go, well, I'm going to dedicate my life to being the king of Rodania.

01:17:13.512 --> 01:17:18.472
[DEREK]:I couldn't get the connection between the two, other than that's what we're told in the show.

01:17:18.472 --> 01:17:20.052
[DEREK]:I couldn't really get it.

01:17:20.052 --> 01:17:33.912
[DEREK]:I thought Dijkstra was trying to say, if you scream out then it will show that we are really powerful as the Rodanians, and everybody will know that we've made a witcher bleed, but I couldn't really get the connection to his plan on Radovid.

01:17:33.912 --> 01:17:35.072
[DEREK]:Maybe it's just me.

01:17:35.072 --> 01:17:35.892
[JOHN]:I don't know.

01:17:35.892 --> 01:17:37.472
[JOHN]:I don't think that was.

01:17:37.472 --> 01:17:46.492
[JOHN]:I think Dijkstra's plan with Radovid was to send Jaskier there.

01:17:46.492 --> 01:17:50.452
[DEREK]:But he was telling Geralt to scream so loud that everybody could hear him.

01:17:50.452 --> 01:17:59.772
[DEREK]:And it is when Jaskier hears Geralt scream that it's almost like Jaskier then pulls back and says, no, I'm going to stay on the side of him.

01:17:59.772 --> 01:18:02.672
[JOHN]:I don't know.

01:18:02.672 --> 01:18:03.812
[JOHN]:I think it was twofold.

01:18:03.812 --> 01:18:06.752
[JOHN]:I think Dijkstra actually just wanted to cause him pain.

01:18:06.752 --> 01:18:07.172
[DEREK]:Well, that too.

01:18:07.172 --> 01:18:11.052
[JOHN]:Because he says, not everything's about this world.

01:18:11.052 --> 01:18:17.732
[JOHN]:After he's talking about the fact that Ciri is engaged to Emhyr.

01:18:17.732 --> 01:18:21.512
[JOHN]:And he wants the world to hear him suffer.

01:18:21.552 --> 01:18:23.672
[JOHN]:But by the world, he does mean Jaskier.

01:18:24.132 --> 01:18:25.472
[JOHN]:To see what happens.

01:18:25.472 --> 01:18:26.352
[DEREK]:It's probably what it is.

01:18:26.352 --> 01:18:26.932
[JOHN]:Yeah.

01:18:26.932 --> 01:18:36.692
[JOHN]:So it is his judgment that he is predicting Jaskier will come back and that will annoy the Petulant King, which it does.

01:18:36.832 --> 01:18:41.392
[JOHN]:But equally, like you say, the Petulant King knows...

01:18:41.392 --> 01:18:42.352
[JOHN]:Yeah, it is.

01:18:42.352 --> 01:18:43.632
[JOHN]:Absolutely.

01:18:43.912 --> 01:18:47.852
[DEREK]:I think the words he says is that Geralt's scream will rid the King of hope.

01:18:47.972 --> 01:18:51.572
[DEREK]:The one thing he has left to keep him from becoming the King there needs to be.

01:18:51.752 --> 01:18:54.232
[DEREK]:And yes, he pushed him too far, effectively.

01:18:54.232 --> 01:18:57.712
[DEREK]:He created a monster, which tends to happen.

01:18:57.712 --> 01:18:59.192
[DEREK]:But yeah, really good, really good movies.

01:18:59.192 --> 01:19:03.932
[JOHN]:I really enjoyed that, and I long live Rodania.

01:19:04.072 --> 01:19:04.952
[DEREK]:Interesting.

01:19:04.952 --> 01:19:06.052
[DEREK]:You've chosen a side, John.

01:19:06.052 --> 01:19:07.052
[JOHN]:I have.

01:19:07.052 --> 01:19:08.012
[DEREK]:I don't know whether I...

01:19:08.012 --> 01:19:09.452
[JOHN]:I don't think they will.

01:19:09.592 --> 01:19:14.972
[DEREK]:I think they might be dead by the start of next episode, by the look of that big attack that was happening.

01:19:14.972 --> 01:19:21.012
[DEREK]:For me, I really like the bringing of the witchers to join with the mages.

01:19:21.332 --> 01:19:32.592
[DEREK]:Once again, they are going to unite together under Yenne and her leadership alongside, well, a brand new Vesemir we should call out.

01:19:32.592 --> 01:19:34.312
[DEREK]:We have a new actor playing Vesemir as well.

01:19:34.312 --> 01:19:37.052
[DEREK]:It's not just Geralt who's been replaced.

01:19:37.052 --> 01:19:47.032
[DEREK]:And interestingly, this time, our brand new Vesemir is played by Peter Mullen, who we saw very recently as the king of the dwarfs in Rings of Power.

01:19:48.412 --> 01:19:57.312
[DEREK]:These shows are complicated enough with the character names, having like 20 or 30 new character names every single episode to remember.

01:19:57.312 --> 01:20:06.692
[DEREK]:And now we have actors coming on board who are playing different roles in each of the fantasy shows that we've had about John.

01:20:06.692 --> 01:20:10.332
[DEREK]:So it's getting really complicated to keep everybody on track.

01:20:10.332 --> 01:20:19.472
[DEREK]:But what I can say is Peter Mullen is always a great actor and he always has great moments in shows and he throws himself into this one as well as Vesemir here.

01:20:19.472 --> 01:20:26.072
[DEREK]:I loved his moments with Yenne where he's talking about leadership to her, telling her that she is a great leader.

01:20:26.072 --> 01:20:28.552
[DEREK]:She's a strong leader.

01:20:28.552 --> 01:20:33.172
[DEREK]:Showing her the real side of leadership, which is leaders don't really know whether they're going to win or not.

01:20:33.172 --> 01:20:40.532
[DEREK]:They just predict and then they put on a brave face and show the rest of them that they believe in them rather than telling them the truth of it.

01:20:40.532 --> 01:20:42.552
[DEREK]:I don't really know because nobody needs to know that, right?

01:20:43.072 --> 01:20:47.952
[DEREK]:They want to look at their leader and say maybe we can do this if our leader thinks we can.

01:20:47.952 --> 01:20:49.092
[DEREK]:So I love that.

01:20:49.092 --> 01:20:51.832
[DEREK]:I think there's a great relationship between the two.

01:20:51.832 --> 01:21:07.632
[DEREK]:I love that we have a moment with all of the mages being trained in fighting like witchers, yet each of them are using their different powers in different ways alongside their witcher training.

01:21:07.632 --> 01:21:10.752
[DEREK]:In another show, this would be four or five episodes of the show.

01:21:10.872 --> 01:21:19.572
[DEREK]:We would keep returning back to the mages as their training makes them better and better at fighting and they start to use their magic in different ways.

01:21:19.572 --> 01:21:22.312
[DEREK]:I don't think the show ever pauses for a second to allow us.

01:21:22.312 --> 01:21:31.252
[DEREK]:It's just given us a little taste, a little flavor of the fact that they have now had some training at hand-to-hand combat to augment their other fighting abilities.

01:21:31.252 --> 01:21:35.392
[DEREK]:And then we will see them in the battle using all of these tools that are available to them.

01:21:35.392 --> 01:21:43.172
[DEREK]:They might not even have the usual time jump in the show to pretend like they've gone through a montage and learned how to do their fighting.

01:21:43.172 --> 01:21:43.972
[DEREK]:This might be it.

01:21:43.972 --> 01:21:45.332
[DEREK]:This might be the only thing we've got.

01:21:45.332 --> 01:21:53.912
[DEREK]:And the Witchers have given them the fighting abilities in these five or six seconds of them going sword to sword with each other.

01:21:53.912 --> 01:21:58.872
[DEREK]:But at least we did have a moment where we had the Queen of Elves versus Yen.

01:21:58.872 --> 01:22:01.432
[DEREK]:That fight sequence was so well-choreographed.

01:22:01.512 --> 01:22:04.132
[DEREK]:I loved the battle between the two of them.

01:22:04.132 --> 01:22:06.092
[DEREK]:It just looked so strong, so powerful.

01:22:06.092 --> 01:22:15.552
[DEREK]:You could totally believe that Yen has picked up lots of fighting skill over the many years that she's been hanging around with all the witchers and with Geralt in particular.

01:22:15.552 --> 01:22:21.832
[DEREK]:But also all the battles that she's faced over the course of these three seasons, four seasons have made her a strong warrior.

01:22:21.832 --> 01:22:26.312
[DEREK]:But we have the Queen of the Elves here, who also has done some proper battles in the past.

01:22:26.312 --> 01:22:29.732
[DEREK]:So it's great seeing the two of those go together.

01:22:29.732 --> 01:22:30.592
[DEREK]:Really good.

01:22:30.592 --> 01:22:31.852
[DEREK]:Love those scenes.

01:22:31.852 --> 01:22:34.092
[DEREK]:Those are my big scenes from the episode.

01:22:34.092 --> 01:22:35.292
[JOHN]:Excellent stuff.

01:22:35.292 --> 01:22:35.912
[JOHN]:Any notes?

01:22:36.732 --> 01:22:39.372
[DEREK]:A couple of little notes here and there throughout the episode.

01:22:39.372 --> 01:22:40.052
[DEREK]:There's lots going on.

01:22:40.052 --> 01:22:46.492
[DEREK]:Again, we're definitely not covering the show as deep as we would be if we were covering one episode at a time.

01:22:46.492 --> 01:22:57.912
[DEREK]:The reveal that the character that's been following along throughout the last couple of episodes, played by Laurence Fishburne, that Regus is a vampire, was a really surprising reveal.

01:22:57.912 --> 01:22:58.652
[DEREK]:But it shouldn't have been.

01:22:58.652 --> 01:23:01.012
[DEREK]:He was hanging around the cemetery in an empty house.

01:23:01.012 --> 01:23:02.272
[JOHN]:Sniffing out the bloody rag.

01:23:02.272 --> 01:23:03.892
[DEREK]:Sniffing the bloody rag from the beginning.

01:23:05.492 --> 01:23:14.212
[DEREK]:But there's also a really weird moment where he says that he has effectively created a new potion for the Witcher to help him in his quest.

01:23:14.212 --> 01:23:17.752
[DEREK]:And in the future, this potion will be massively important.

01:23:17.752 --> 01:23:23.512
[DEREK]:You may want to use this in some battle to elevate your strength and be able to fight against.

01:23:23.512 --> 01:23:26.572
[DEREK]:And it's literally two seconds after he's given it.

01:23:27.132 --> 01:23:33.612
[DEREK]:Uh oh, the NuffGuardians attack in, whoop, I'll knock back this brand new potion that I was given by the vampire that was following along with our team.

01:23:33.612 --> 01:23:35.292
[JOHN]:Yeah, so he can save everyone.

01:23:35.292 --> 01:23:36.092
[JOHN]:Exactly.

01:23:36.392 --> 01:23:37.292
[JOHN]:It's so quick.

01:23:37.292 --> 01:23:38.152
[DEREK]:It's so quick.

01:23:38.152 --> 01:23:44.332
[DEREK]:I absolutely thought when the potion's being handed over, I thought this was something that's being saved for Episode 8 of the series.

01:23:44.332 --> 01:23:45.772
[JOHN]:This is the final boss battle.

01:23:45.772 --> 01:23:46.372
[JOHN]:It is.

01:23:46.372 --> 01:23:48.872
[JOHN]:And it's like, oh, I need to take an elixir.

01:23:49.112 --> 01:23:50.352
[JOHN]:And power up.

01:23:50.352 --> 01:23:50.792
[DEREK]:Yeah.

01:23:50.792 --> 01:23:52.832
[JOHN]:Here we go.

01:23:52.832 --> 01:23:55.312
[JOHN]:But no, he has to take it immediately.

01:23:55.372 --> 01:24:00.572
[JOHN]:I mean, we do have that Yaskia is wounded here.

01:24:00.572 --> 01:24:10.712
[JOHN]:Kehir comes to help out, but he needs to take this elixir, which seems to sort of get him all vamped up.

01:24:10.712 --> 01:24:19.412
[DEREK]:Yeah, like in the game, this would be something like you would go on a quest to find this potion, and then you'd use the potion in a later battle.

01:24:19.412 --> 01:24:20.592
[DEREK]:This isn't even a side quest.

01:24:20.592 --> 01:24:22.852
[DEREK]:This is like a micro mission.

01:24:22.852 --> 01:24:26.272
[DEREK]:It's like he's given it, he takes it, he fights, and then that's it.

01:24:26.272 --> 01:24:27.952
[DEREK]:He doesn't have another one of them, does he?

01:24:27.952 --> 01:24:28.692
[JOHN]:No, exactly.

01:24:28.692 --> 01:24:29.512
[JOHN]:I don't think so.

01:24:29.512 --> 01:24:31.352
[JOHN]:Anyway, maybe he had more than one.

01:24:31.352 --> 01:24:31.952
[JOHN]:I can't...

01:24:31.952 --> 01:24:33.072
[DEREK]:No, he was handed one vial.

01:24:33.072 --> 01:24:33.892
[JOHN]:Yeah, that's what I thought.

01:24:33.892 --> 01:24:36.412
[DEREK]:He dropped the vial to the ground, as he always does when he takes the elixir.

01:24:36.412 --> 01:24:37.852
[DEREK]:He dropped the vial to the ground empty.

01:24:37.852 --> 01:24:38.632
[DEREK]:So that's it.

01:24:38.792 --> 01:24:41.272
[JOHN]:He turned into a right cure head.

01:24:41.272 --> 01:24:42.312
[DEREK]:He did.

01:24:42.312 --> 01:24:44.452
[DEREK]:He did.

01:24:44.452 --> 01:24:46.052
[DEREK]:Maybe I should dress like that for the cure next year.

01:24:46.052 --> 01:24:47.172
[JOHN]:Yeah, maybe.

01:24:47.172 --> 01:24:47.952
[JOHN]:I think you should.

01:24:47.952 --> 01:24:51.392
[DEREK]:I don't think I have the body to go along with the look, though.

01:24:51.392 --> 01:24:52.032
[DEREK]:But it was very cool.

01:24:52.032 --> 01:24:58.272
[DEREK]:I loved seeing the blackened eyes again and the veins pumping out with the blackened blood.

01:24:58.272 --> 01:24:59.272
[DEREK]:I thought that was really cool.

01:24:59.272 --> 01:25:05.412
[DEREK]:He looked like he was in Castlevania, the video game, another great video game series.

01:25:05.652 --> 01:25:06.532
[DEREK]:That's what he looked like to me.

01:25:06.532 --> 01:25:08.072
[JOHN]:Yeah, absolutely.

01:25:08.072 --> 01:25:09.972
[DEREK]:Any other notes from you, John?

01:25:10.052 --> 01:25:19.612
[JOHN]:From me, it was the rats all have got their bounty on their heads now, with Ciri or Falka having the largest bounties.

01:25:19.612 --> 01:25:34.812
[JOHN]:But there is a nice moment with Leo Bonhart sort of recreating the attack in the town, where he realizes that the swords person was very skilled at what they did.

01:25:35.612 --> 01:25:38.392
[JOHN]:And just ask the question, who are you, Falka?

01:25:38.952 --> 01:25:43.932
[DEREK]:And you say nice moment, but I absolutely watched that scene and thought that could easily be in Game of Thrones.

01:25:43.932 --> 01:25:44.992
[JOHN]:Oh, definitely.

01:25:45.052 --> 01:25:54.912
[DEREK]:Well, sometimes the show plays like it's for teenagers and fans of video games and fans of fantasy TV shows and kids.

01:25:54.912 --> 01:26:01.252
[DEREK]:And then suddenly there's a scene like this where Leo walks in, sees a grieving wife, goes, is that your husband?

01:26:01.252 --> 01:26:03.112
[DEREK]:Looks at the damage that's on him.

01:26:03.172 --> 01:26:03.952
[DEREK]:Oh, is he alive?

01:26:04.312 --> 01:26:06.372
[DEREK]:No, he's definitely not alive.

01:26:06.372 --> 01:26:13.272
[DEREK]:And then stabs her and kills the mourning wife because she's interrupting his ability to play out who it was that did the murders.

01:26:13.272 --> 01:26:15.932
[DEREK]:It's like, what are you doing?

01:26:15.952 --> 01:26:18.412
[JOHN]:I thought that was just funny.

01:26:18.412 --> 01:26:21.632
[JOHN]:I mean, I know that it was brutal for her.

01:26:21.632 --> 01:26:22.292
[JOHN]:Absolutely.

01:26:22.292 --> 01:26:24.032
[JOHN]:She's a grieving wife.

01:26:24.032 --> 01:26:26.732
[JOHN]:But it's just like, I can't think.

01:26:28.332 --> 01:26:29.012
[DEREK]:It was very brutal.

01:26:29.012 --> 01:26:35.112
[JOHN]:It was played really well though, by both of the Leo Bonhart and the grieving wife.

01:26:35.112 --> 01:26:38.972
[JOHN]:Because she's kind of shaking as she's going down.

01:26:38.972 --> 01:26:43.712
[JOHN]:And then it was just, it was a good moment.

01:26:43.712 --> 01:26:49.112
[JOHN]:But I did like the kind of almost, the recreation in his mind.

01:26:49.112 --> 01:26:53.452
[JOHN]:And he kind of leaves going, whoosh, whoosh, like kind of thing.

01:26:53.472 --> 01:26:55.652
[DEREK]:He's very cool, CSI continent.

01:26:55.652 --> 01:26:56.232
[JOHN]:Yeah, it is.

01:26:56.232 --> 01:26:58.512
[JOHN]:It's kind of very CSI.

01:26:58.732 --> 01:27:03.052
[JOHN]:The piecing what happened at the scene.

01:27:03.052 --> 01:27:05.652
[JOHN]:So I kind of really liked that.

01:27:05.652 --> 01:27:15.032
[JOHN]:Then the other big thing here is ultimately, Vilgefortz knows Fringilla is a spy.

01:27:15.032 --> 01:27:18.692
[JOHN]:He says, you've always been a prisoner here, just one without a cage.

01:27:18.692 --> 01:27:25.312
[JOHN]:Because what we realize as well, Vilgefortz has been getting his info from Istrid.

01:27:25.312 --> 01:27:34.752
[JOHN]:But Istrid is also a prisoner at Vilgefortz base, but he's just using magic to place Istrid as though he were in a library.

01:27:35.032 --> 01:27:37.372
[JOHN]:And he comes to him as though he's Yennefer.

01:27:37.372 --> 01:27:46.392
[JOHN]:So actually he also now knows that he can drain Ciri's powers for himself, that that's something that he can be done.

01:27:46.452 --> 01:27:52.452
[JOHN]:And he can control portals not only within, but also between conjunctions.

01:27:52.452 --> 01:27:55.092
[DEREK]:Did I miss this from before?

01:27:55.092 --> 01:28:01.932
[DEREK]:Because this seems like a massive reveal when Istrid realizes Ciri's purpose and what she's there for.

01:28:01.932 --> 01:28:07.872
[DEREK]:She has the power to collapse the continent in time and space, including two other spheres.

01:28:07.872 --> 01:28:12.332
[DEREK]:So that was something that we saw back in Blood Origin, the spinoff series.

01:28:12.332 --> 01:28:21.092
[DEREK]:We had the initial conjunction happening where another sphere, another planet, another universe came in to join up with the continent.

01:28:21.092 --> 01:28:26.032
[DEREK]:And here he's saying that Ciri has the ability to do this almost at will.

01:28:26.112 --> 01:28:29.392
[JOHN]:Yeah, I loved Blood Oranges.

01:28:29.392 --> 01:28:30.312
[JOHN]:I mean Blood Oranges.

01:28:30.312 --> 01:28:32.272
[DEREK]:Oh, Darren, oh yeah, made that joke in three years.

01:28:32.472 --> 01:28:34.012
[JOHN]:I know.

01:28:34.512 --> 01:28:36.812
[JOHN]:It was an excellent spinoff.

01:28:36.812 --> 01:28:38.892
[JOHN]:That is my favorite spinoff.

01:28:38.892 --> 01:28:40.072
[DEREK]:It was really good spinoff.

01:28:40.072 --> 01:28:42.272
[DEREK]:I really enjoyed it as well, but it got such poor ratings.

01:28:42.272 --> 01:28:42.612
[JOHN]:I know.

01:28:42.612 --> 01:28:43.112
[DEREK]:Yeah.

01:28:43.112 --> 01:28:44.152
[JOHN]:I really enjoyed it.

01:28:44.152 --> 01:28:52.332
[DEREK]:Anyway, I think it's partly what's happened is a lot of fans of the books don't like that they change so much for the show.

01:28:52.332 --> 01:28:54.292
[DEREK]:And something like Blood Oranges.

01:28:55.552 --> 01:28:57.672
[DEREK]:Now you've got me thinking Blood Oranges.

01:28:57.672 --> 01:29:04.172
[DEREK]:Something like Blood Oranges was so significantly different from what was in the books that they were very unhappy with it.

01:29:04.472 --> 01:29:07.552
[DEREK]:Or at that point, they just were not interested in actually watching it.

01:29:07.552 --> 01:29:15.772
[DEREK]:So, yeah, at least for this show, for season four of The Witcher, we are at a really good point in the fourth episode of the show.

01:29:15.772 --> 01:29:19.972
[DEREK]:I'm really excited to see what's happening in the last in the last four episodes of the series.

01:29:19.972 --> 01:29:20.452
[DEREK]:Yeah.

01:29:20.452 --> 01:29:23.892
[DEREK]:Ramping up from not a great start to the series, but that's OK.

01:29:23.892 --> 01:29:28.052
[DEREK]:It takes time to warm up always, I think, with The Witcher.

01:29:28.052 --> 01:29:30.592
[DEREK]:Do you have a rating for us for this last episode, John?

01:29:30.912 --> 01:29:31.552
[JOHN]:Yes.

01:29:31.552 --> 01:29:36.732
[JOHN]:I'd give this four and a half parasitic kitties out of five.

01:29:36.732 --> 01:30:00.892
[JOHN]:The one that happens in the cave when Mistle and Ciri are going to the caves, to a big dark cave to have some fun, away from prying eyes of the other rats, only to find some magical thing, almost like a glow worm or something like that, on the ceiling of the cave.

01:30:00.892 --> 01:30:07.512
[JOHN]:But instead, rather than being something pretty and wondrous, it's an infected Greylock with a parasite.

01:30:07.972 --> 01:30:11.452
[JOHN]:You actually here see the link between her and Geralt.

01:30:11.452 --> 01:30:19.012
[JOHN]:It also is the point where then Mistle starts to ask her, Oh, so you know Geralt of Rivia?

01:30:19.012 --> 01:30:19.532
[DEREK]:Yes.

01:30:20.072 --> 01:30:27.832
[JOHN]:And begins to piece elements of Falca's earlier previous life, I guess.

01:30:27.972 --> 01:30:31.732
[DEREK]:I really like that Ciri does cure the Greylock.

01:30:31.732 --> 01:30:33.312
[DEREK]:It doesn't, she doesn't take the head of it.

01:30:33.312 --> 01:30:36.732
[DEREK]:She removes the parasite and the Greylock is able to escape.

01:30:36.732 --> 01:30:41.132
[DEREK]:So she is doing what witchers do and exactly what Geralt would do in this situation.

01:30:41.132 --> 01:30:46.052
[DEREK]:But I have to say, Mistle wasn't great at revealing information.

01:30:46.052 --> 01:30:52.392
[DEREK]:You know, when Ciri comes down there, there's this beautiful light show above them and Ciri's going, oh, is this where you bring all your girls?

01:30:52.392 --> 01:30:55.212
[DEREK]:And she's like, only the girls I want to impress.

01:30:55.212 --> 01:30:59.572
[DEREK]:Like, hang on, Mistle, do you not want to say to her, this wasn't here last time?

01:30:59.592 --> 01:31:00.312
[JOHN]:Exactly.

01:31:00.312 --> 01:31:08.152
[DEREK]:It isn't the light show I was bringing you to look at, I was bringing you to this area, you know, because that's a parasite that's attached to itself.

01:31:08.152 --> 01:31:13.252
[DEREK]:Maybe Ciri might want to know that this wasn't something that you'd seen before down there.

01:31:13.252 --> 01:31:16.472
[DEREK]:But anyway, Ciri takes care of it because she's awesome.

01:31:16.472 --> 01:31:17.492
[JOHN]:Yes, exactly.

01:31:17.492 --> 01:31:18.852
[JOHN]:Exactly.

01:31:18.852 --> 01:31:23.952
[JOHN]:So, yeah, I would give this four and a half parasitic kitties out of five.

01:31:23.952 --> 01:31:28.452
[JOHN]:This to me, there's a lot of momentum happening here.

01:31:28.452 --> 01:31:41.932
[JOHN]:Even just, you know, the resolution around Fringilla, that it's not, you know, yeah, I kind of, you know, again, there's resolution around Fringilla, but equally what's going to happen to her next.

01:31:41.932 --> 01:31:43.192
[JOHN]:It's there hanging.

01:31:43.192 --> 01:31:46.352
[JOHN]:Like, so I was like, oh, yes, must go to episode five.

01:31:46.352 --> 01:31:49.752
[JOHN]:I was like, oh, is Dijkstra, you know, still alive?

01:31:49.752 --> 01:31:53.072
[JOHN]:Has he survived this attack?

01:31:53.072 --> 01:31:56.992
[JOHN]:You know, all these things are all piling up around, right, what's happening next.

01:31:56.992 --> 01:32:00.232
[JOHN]:So I found it really energetic this episode.

01:32:00.552 --> 01:32:07.372
[JOHN]:There's loads of good stuff going on and makes you really want to see what the next episode gives.

01:32:07.372 --> 01:32:11.092
[JOHN]:So yeah, this to me was the best episode of these first four.

01:32:11.092 --> 01:32:11.772
[DEREK]:Absolutely.

01:32:11.772 --> 01:32:13.452
[JOHN]:So yeah, absolutely loved it.

01:32:13.452 --> 01:32:17.812
[DEREK]:Yep, and we will be back with the second half of the season, but we do have some feedback.

01:32:17.812 --> 01:32:20.772
[DEREK]:First up, we have an email in from Kaffi and Vodkan on the first four episodes.

01:32:20.772 --> 01:32:24.012
[DEREK]:He says, greetings fellow rinse and repeat defenders.

01:32:24.012 --> 01:32:26.452
[DEREK]:If it's not broken, don't fix it 101.

01:32:26.452 --> 01:32:32.692
[DEREK]:Like the seasons before, our happy family is scattered to the winds to eventually end up together sometime before the next apocalypse.

01:32:32.692 --> 01:32:40.872
[DEREK]:The addition of Leo and Morpheus, he'll always be Morpheus to me, added some much needed colour to the war torn formula and Liam is doing a fine job in the title role.

01:32:40.872 --> 01:32:48.072
[DEREK]:With the end game in sight and Vilgefortz even more powerful, this season stands out for its, so far, lack of bottle episodes.

01:32:48.072 --> 01:32:51.192
[DEREK]:Staying ever on track, the best aspect is Ciri.

01:32:51.192 --> 01:33:02.372
[DEREK]:She's moved on from walking talking one ring to rule the mole MacGuffin to becoming her own real character in charge of her own fate, looking forward to see how she and the rest of the Rat Pack fare against Leo.

01:33:02.372 --> 01:33:06.212
[DEREK]:So dark fantasy, so far, so dark fantasy, so good.

01:33:06.212 --> 01:33:12.512
[DEREK]:Four butchered bog beasts, disheartened wraiths, petty priests and neon extracted grey locks out of five.

01:33:12.512 --> 01:33:14.772
[DEREK]:Peace and take care, Coffee and Vodka.

01:33:14.772 --> 01:33:17.112
[JOHN]:Excellent stuff, Coffee and Vodka.

01:33:17.112 --> 01:33:18.832
[JOHN]:Yeah, I totally agree.

01:33:18.872 --> 01:33:24.692
[JOHN]:I love the dark fantasy being as good as it is with The Witcher.

01:33:25.352 --> 01:33:34.832
[JOHN]:And, yeah, I, you know, in terms of Ciri, I think she's starting to sort of come out of her shell with the rats.

01:33:34.832 --> 01:33:42.652
[JOHN]:I wasn't really sure I was getting it in the first few episodes, where she was just sort of first met them and was kind of involved.

01:33:42.652 --> 01:33:44.032
[DEREK]:Just with them.

01:33:44.032 --> 01:33:47.272
[JOHN]:I mean, even just like the cutting of the hair thing in the cave.

01:33:47.732 --> 01:33:55.912
[DEREK]:And I said to John, I'll say this, there's a moment where she goes, I feel like a change is she cuts her hair and then she comes out and it just looks like she's styled her hair.

01:33:55.912 --> 01:33:57.592
[JOHN]:Normally has makeup on.

01:33:57.592 --> 01:33:57.772
[DEREK]:Yeah.

01:33:57.772 --> 01:34:05.652
[DEREK]:But normally when a character goes, I'm going to make a big change and cuts the hair, it's like they dye their hair from blonde to black or black to blonde.

01:34:05.692 --> 01:34:08.532
[DEREK]:So it's a massive change that makes them unrecognizable.

01:34:08.532 --> 01:34:11.032
[DEREK]:She literally looked like she'd gone to the salon.

01:34:11.032 --> 01:34:12.512
[DEREK]:Well, that's it.

01:34:12.512 --> 01:34:23.212
[JOHN]:I kind of did think that because it was after the bounty on all of their heads, and there was a chat around that, and she says, I'm going to change.

01:34:23.212 --> 01:34:28.672
[JOHN]:Like you say, I've always had to be what other people wanted me to be.

01:34:28.672 --> 01:34:35.052
[JOHN]:Then she stayed blonde and put makeup on, like as though she was going out for a meal with Mistle.

01:34:35.052 --> 01:34:43.112
[JOHN]:I thought it was going to be jet black hair, and spiky or something like that, really different.

01:34:45.052 --> 01:34:52.072
[JOHN]:But in any case, like I do think, yeah, it's just become much stronger, the portrayal of what Ciri is.

01:34:52.072 --> 01:34:55.192
[JOHN]:And I definitely agree with you on that for sure.

01:34:55.192 --> 01:34:56.312
[DEREK]:Yeah, absolutely.

01:34:56.312 --> 01:34:57.412
[DEREK]:Great to hear from Caffe Vodka.

01:34:57.412 --> 01:34:59.852
[DEREK]:I know you've sent in your thoughts already for the other four episodes.

01:34:59.852 --> 01:35:03.352
[DEREK]:Looking forward to hearing your thoughts as we get into that next week.

01:35:03.352 --> 01:35:04.432
[JOHN]:Yeah, exactly.

01:35:04.432 --> 01:35:17.332
[DEREK]:And one thing I completely forgot to mention, one thing that might make a bit more sense of the characters that Ciri's hanging around with, the rats, is there has been a movie released on the same day as this series, which is focused on the rats.

01:35:17.332 --> 01:35:21.132
[DEREK]:It is a Witcher movie and it came out to absolutely no fanfare.

01:35:21.132 --> 01:35:25.792
[DEREK]:The only reason I know about it is because I saw it in the press release for the show that it came out the same day.

01:35:25.792 --> 01:35:34.732
[DEREK]:So apparently you have to wait until you've seen the full season four of the show because there are spoilers for season four of the show in the movie, The Rats.

01:35:34.772 --> 01:35:41.232
[DEREK]:It doesn't tell you that on the episode, so you absolutely could click on it and watch it and then watch the series having been spoiled at what's happened.

01:35:41.232 --> 01:35:48.492
[DEREK]:But I presume it's going to tell a bit more of the story of those characters that is being gradually revealed to us in the series.

01:35:48.492 --> 01:35:50.592
[DEREK]:So if you want to know more about them, go watch that.

01:35:50.592 --> 01:35:55.812
[DEREK]:We will probably chat about it on the podcast after we finish covering these next four episodes.

01:35:55.812 --> 01:35:57.652
[JOHN]:Yes, absolutely.

01:35:57.652 --> 01:35:58.472
[DEREK]:We are going to talk about it.

01:35:58.472 --> 01:35:59.372
[DEREK]:John's confirmed it there.

01:35:59.372 --> 01:36:03.572
[DEREK]:Okay, so we are going to talk about The Rats after we talked about the next four episodes of The Witcher.

01:36:03.932 --> 01:36:04.592
[JOHN]:I think so.

01:36:05.232 --> 01:36:07.112
[JOHN]:I think we should.

01:36:07.112 --> 01:36:08.472
[JOHN]:Hopefully, it's good.

01:36:08.472 --> 01:36:09.172
[DEREK]:Absolutely.

01:36:09.172 --> 01:36:11.952
[DEREK]:As you say, one of your favorite shows has been a spin-off of The Witcher.

01:36:11.952 --> 01:36:12.412
[JOHN]:Certainly.

01:36:12.452 --> 01:36:14.672
[DEREK]:So let's see how it goes.

01:36:14.672 --> 01:36:16.252
[DEREK]:We also, of course, had Dr.

01:36:16.252 --> 01:36:19.512
[DEREK]:Bob Phillips' thoughts on this episode 4.

01:36:19.512 --> 01:36:20.392
[JOHN]:Yes.

01:36:20.392 --> 01:36:20.632
[JOHN]:Dr.

01:36:20.632 --> 01:36:34.732
[JOHN]:Bob says, Romance, torture, hematology, no vampirism, ambushes galore, crush-filled kings and upstart queens, eyeballs and freckles, almost topped by a tiger with worms.

01:36:34.732 --> 01:36:36.312
[JOHN]:What an episode.

01:36:36.312 --> 01:36:38.512
[JOHN]:Absolutely, Dr.

01:36:38.512 --> 01:36:38.672
[JOHN]:Bob.

01:36:38.792 --> 01:36:49.132
[JOHN]:If I'll podcat to Charlie, if that's how his worms manifest, I would certainly be fairly creeped out.

01:36:49.952 --> 01:36:51.952
[DEREK]:I wouldn't be putting the tablet down his throat anyway.

01:36:51.952 --> 01:36:55.492
[JOHN]:Well, I was going to say maybe Ciri didn't need to use a sword.

01:36:55.492 --> 01:36:58.032
[JOHN]:She could have just dropped something at the nape of the neck.

01:36:58.032 --> 01:36:58.852
[JOHN]:Oh, it could be that.

01:36:59.092 --> 01:37:03.492
[JOHN]:It just withered away, got rid of the worms and the ticks that were on it as well.

01:37:03.492 --> 01:37:05.412
[JOHN]:Maybe fleas if it had fleas.

01:37:05.412 --> 01:37:06.272
[DEREK]:Could have been a new pet.

01:37:07.012 --> 01:37:10.872
[JOHN]:Absolutely, loved her for it.

01:37:10.872 --> 01:37:11.572
[DEREK]:Excellent stuff.

01:37:11.572 --> 01:37:12.372
[DEREK]:Glad you enjoyed it, Dr.

01:37:12.372 --> 01:37:13.032
[DEREK]:Bob.

01:37:13.032 --> 01:37:15.392
[DEREK]:I'm hoping you're going to stick with us for the rest of the season.

01:37:15.392 --> 01:37:18.452
[DEREK]:I'm sure you are as well, but still no bath in this episode.

01:37:18.452 --> 01:37:23.572
[DEREK]:So maybe after the massive battle, if Geralt survives, I'm sure Geralt will survive.

01:37:23.572 --> 01:37:25.492
[DEREK]:Maybe he'll need a bath in episode five.

01:37:25.492 --> 01:37:26.192
[JOHN]:I think so.

01:37:26.192 --> 01:37:29.332
[JOHN]:I'm still hanging on to Bangerberg, to be honest.

01:37:29.372 --> 01:37:31.452
[DEREK]:Absolutely, absolutely.

01:37:31.512 --> 01:37:31.952
[DEREK]:Great stuff.

01:37:31.952 --> 01:37:35.672
[DEREK]:We also got a voicemail in from our wonderful friend, Renée.

01:37:35.672 --> 01:37:38.172
[DEREK]:We haven't heard a voicemail in ages.

01:37:38.172 --> 01:37:40.912
[DEREK]:So looking forward to hearing your thoughts, Renae.

01:37:40.912 --> 01:37:41.592
[RENAE]:Hi Derek.

01:37:41.592 --> 01:37:42.352
[RENAE]:Hi John.

01:37:42.352 --> 01:37:45.172
[RENAE]:This is Renae calling in about The Witcher.

01:37:45.172 --> 01:37:47.612
[RENAE]:First, I want to say I love you guys' accent.

01:37:47.612 --> 01:37:51.212
[RENAE]:It is so cute and dare I say super sexy.

01:37:51.212 --> 01:37:53.672
[RENAE]:Now, I have really been enjoying The Witcher.

01:37:53.672 --> 01:37:58.232
[RENAE]:I actually found you guys when I watched The Witcher Blood Origin.

01:37:58.232 --> 01:38:02.512
[RENAE]:I listened to your podcast for that one, and then I went back and caught all of Season 3.

01:38:02.512 --> 01:38:07.912
[RENAE]:I listened to every single episode, and I did not realize it was y'all at first.

01:38:07.912 --> 01:38:13.652
[RENAE]:I must have found you through Podcastica somehow, maybe through Jason, but I'm so glad I did.

01:38:13.652 --> 01:38:18.432
[RENAE]:Now, I feel like I've been listening to my friends all this time, and I didn't even know it.

01:38:18.432 --> 01:38:19.712
[RENAE]:Now, on to The Witcher.

01:38:19.712 --> 01:38:21.672
[RENAE]:The Witcher is so good to me.

01:38:21.672 --> 01:38:26.832
[RENAE]:I know some people are still in their feelings about Henry Caval, or however you pronounce his last name.

01:38:26.892 --> 01:38:34.432
[RENAE]:They're upset about him leaving, but honestly, I'm not one of them because I never watch Superman, so I'm not attached to him.

01:38:34.432 --> 01:38:37.172
[RENAE]:Liam Hemsworth is doing an awesome job.

01:38:37.172 --> 01:38:41.572
[RENAE]:He has Geralt's whole energy and mannerism down perfectly.

01:38:41.572 --> 01:38:50.252
[RENAE]:Sure, he may not be as big or intimidating as Henry Caval, but he looks good, he's believable, and his accent is right on point.

01:38:50.252 --> 01:38:54.312
[RENAE]:And I love the chemistry between him and Yennefer.

01:38:54.312 --> 01:38:55.332
[RENAE]:And poor little Ciri.

01:38:55.512 --> 01:38:58.292
[RENAE]:It's like, girl, this little girl has been through the wringer.

01:38:58.292 --> 01:39:00.172
[RENAE]:When are they gonna ever find her?

01:39:00.172 --> 01:39:01.812
[RENAE]:When will they ever get to her?

01:39:01.812 --> 01:39:06.872
[RENAE]:You know, I'm not a book reader, so I'm just watching the show, and it's like, what the hell?

01:39:06.872 --> 01:39:12.552
[RENAE]:And the rats, woo, I don't know if I should feel bad for them or what, because they act like little brats.

01:39:12.552 --> 01:39:14.592
[RENAE]:They are a mess.

01:39:14.592 --> 01:39:16.372
[RENAE]:And let me say this as well.

01:39:16.372 --> 01:39:32.832
[RENAE]:I was more upset about them changing out the actor who played the head witcher than I was about Henry Caval, because he does not have the same energy as the original actor who played the head witcher.

01:39:32.832 --> 01:39:36.412
[RENAE]:So I really wish they would have kept the actor, but it doesn't matter.

01:39:36.412 --> 01:39:37.912
[RENAE]:I'm still going to continue to watch The Witcher.

01:39:37.912 --> 01:39:40.092
[RENAE]:Like I said, The Witcher is so good to me.

01:39:40.092 --> 01:39:48.572
[RENAE]:Those people who are upset and all on the internet, saying all this extra stuff about them, his words, they can kick rocks with no shoes or socks on.

01:39:48.612 --> 01:39:50.172
[RENAE]:All righty, peace and love.

01:39:50.172 --> 01:39:50.852
[RENAE]:Bye.

01:39:50.852 --> 01:39:52.012
[DEREK]:Bye.

01:39:52.012 --> 01:39:53.132
[DEREK]:Fantastic, Renae.

01:39:53.132 --> 01:39:54.072
[DEREK]:Yeah, you know what?

01:39:54.892 --> 01:39:55.952
[DEREK]:I love your attitude.

01:39:55.952 --> 01:39:58.512
[DEREK]:I would love to just tell them to go kick rocks with no shoes.

01:39:58.512 --> 01:39:59.312
[DEREK]:What a great phrase.

01:39:59.312 --> 01:39:59.772
[DEREK]:I love that.

01:39:59.772 --> 01:40:01.892
[DEREK]:Yeah, because I am I am so sick of it.

01:40:01.892 --> 01:40:08.652
[DEREK]:Like you look you look at IMDB and there is absolutely no reason why these episodes should be rated four out of 10.

01:40:08.652 --> 01:40:19.752
[DEREK]:It is some campaign from people that want the books to be remade into a TV show with completely different storylines, with completely different actors, completely different writers involved.

01:40:19.752 --> 01:40:23.792
[DEREK]:I never really understood why this show has such negativity around it.

01:40:23.792 --> 01:40:28.132
[DEREK]:All I know is that when it came out first on Netflix, it was absolutely huge.

01:40:28.132 --> 01:40:37.112
[DEREK]:It was one of their shows they pinned everything on up there with Stranger Things, up there with Squig Game, all of those shows that Netflix promote all the time.

01:40:37.112 --> 01:40:46.712
[DEREK]:And now, even though there's still this this season and another season to go, and the rats movie that just came out, it seems like they're being dropped and being just released because they've been made.

01:40:46.712 --> 01:40:50.052
[DEREK]:It seems to have come out with no fanfare after the episodes have come out.

01:40:50.052 --> 01:40:54.132
[DEREK]:They've just moved on to the next thing, which is so sad because there's so many people involved in the show.

01:40:54.132 --> 01:40:56.832
[DEREK]:There's hundreds of people involved in a show this big.

01:40:56.872 --> 01:40:59.012
[DEREK]:I think they've done a really good job as well.

01:40:59.012 --> 01:41:01.972
[DEREK]:So I can't wait for the other four episodes and the next season as well.

01:41:01.972 --> 01:41:03.092
[JOHN]:Absolutely.

01:41:03.092 --> 01:41:04.252
[JOHN]:Great stuff, Renae.

01:41:04.252 --> 01:41:06.532
[JOHN]:Thanks so much for the voicemail.

01:41:06.532 --> 01:41:11.392
[JOHN]:Really glad you picked us up with Blood Origins as well, because that was a fave of mine.

01:41:14.692 --> 01:41:20.092
[JOHN]:This season, I think, Liam Hemsworth has just slotted in, I think.

01:41:20.092 --> 01:41:23.632
[JOHN]:I'm totally with you that rats are indeed brats.

01:41:23.632 --> 01:41:24.552
[DEREK]:Yes, they are.

01:41:24.552 --> 01:41:26.572
[JOHN]:Yes, they certainly are.

01:41:26.572 --> 01:41:31.592
[JOHN]:They'll come up against Leo very quickly, I'm guessing.

01:41:31.592 --> 01:41:33.652
[DEREK]:I guess so.

01:41:33.652 --> 01:41:34.652
[DEREK]:Brilliant stuff, Renae.

01:41:34.652 --> 01:41:36.132
[DEREK]:Once again, thank you so much for finding us.

01:41:36.132 --> 01:41:39.412
[DEREK]:Yes, you definitely heard of me over on the podcast.

01:41:39.612 --> 01:41:44.312
[DEREK]:I used to do the comic book talk over on Walking Dead cast with Jason over the years.

01:41:44.312 --> 01:41:50.252
[DEREK]:I've been involved in shows over the last while as well, doing lots and lots of stuff over on podcast to get the moment at the John.

01:41:50.252 --> 01:41:50.992
[DEREK]:We were talking about it.

01:41:51.892 --> 01:41:54.792
[DEREK]:Their coverage of it, Welcome to Derry has been fantastic.

01:41:54.792 --> 01:41:59.832
[DEREK]:I always love a good podcast to go along with the TV show and their coverage of it has been fantastic.

01:41:59.832 --> 01:42:04.932
[DEREK]:They started doing Pluribus as well, which a show by a guy I've never watched anything of.

01:42:04.932 --> 01:42:13.572
[DEREK]:I haven't really watched much of Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul, but he used to write for X-Files and now he has his own sci-fi kind of show on Apple TV.

01:42:13.572 --> 01:42:19.852
[DEREK]:I'm not going to talk anything about it, but they're also covering that over on Wax Episodic, which is part of Podcastica.

01:42:19.852 --> 01:42:25.752
[DEREK]:So lots of cool stuff to listen to over there as always, which is where you heard me, René, definitely.

01:42:25.752 --> 01:42:27.472
[JOHN]:Excellent stuff.

01:42:27.472 --> 01:42:29.012
[DEREK]:Thank you so much for all the feedback.

01:42:29.012 --> 01:42:32.112
[DEREK]:We've got one more episode that will cover the other half of The Witcher.

01:42:32.112 --> 01:42:33.732
[DEREK]:That should be coming out in the next week or so.

01:42:33.732 --> 01:42:34.732
[DEREK]:We'd love to hear your thoughts.

01:42:34.812 --> 01:42:39.912
[DEREK]:You can continue to e-mail us to feedback at tvpodcastindustries.com with your thoughts.

01:42:39.912 --> 01:42:42.892
[DEREK]:We'll be back covering episodes 5 to 8 next time.

01:42:42.892 --> 01:42:43.692
[JOHN]:Excellent stuff.

01:42:43.692 --> 01:42:47.372
[JOHN]:Thank you so much, fellow Witchers, for joining us.

01:42:47.532 --> 01:42:55.192
[JOHN]:Until next time for the remaining four episodes of The Witcher, keep watching, keep listening, and of course, keep witching.

01:42:55.192 --> 01:42:55.712
[DEREK]:Bye.

01:42:55.712 --> 01:42:55.872
[JOHN]:Bye.

01:42:55.872 --> 01:42:55.972
[JOHN]:Bye.

01:43:16.982 --> 01:43:24.842
[DEREK]:So this first episode is called, What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger, much like that song by Christina Aguilera, isn't it?

01:43:25.362 --> 01:43:26.182
[JOHN]:I don't think so.

01:43:26.182 --> 01:43:28.242
[DEREK]:Doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

01:43:28.302 --> 01:43:29.562
[JOHN]:Yeah, no, I don't.

01:43:29.562 --> 01:43:31.422
[DEREK]:That's that one.

01:43:31.422 --> 01:43:33.462
[JOHN]:Maybe it is, by the way.

01:43:33.462 --> 01:43:34.762
[DEREK]:What's that?

01:43:36.082 --> 01:43:37.562
[DEREK]:Is it pink, maybe?

01:43:37.562 --> 01:43:38.582
[JOHN]:Might be, yeah.

01:43:38.722 --> 01:43:39.622
[JOHN]:Is this?

01:43:39.982 --> 01:43:40.942
[DEREK]:Or is this?

01:43:40.942 --> 01:43:41.462
[JOHN]:Maybe it is.

01:43:41.462 --> 01:43:43.342
[DEREK]:Is it Man I Feel Like A Woman, lady?

01:43:43.342 --> 01:43:44.802
[DEREK]:Who's that?

01:43:44.802 --> 01:43:45.622
[DEREK]:Kelly Clarkson.

01:43:45.622 --> 01:43:48.262
[DEREK]:Kelly Clarkson, John, you should have known that immediately.

01:43:52.702 --> 01:43:53.522
[JOHN]:Excellent stuff.

01:43:53.522 --> 01:43:56.502
[JOHN]:Thank you so much, fellow witches, for joining us.

01:43:57.262 --> 01:44:01.882
[JOHN]:And until next time for the remaining four episodes of The Witcher.

01:44:01.882 --> 01:44:07.182
[JOHN]:Keep watching, keep listening, and of course, keep grunting.

01:44:07.182 --> 01:44:08.682
[DEREK]:Bye.

01:44:08.682 --> 01:44:11.042
[DEREK]:You forgot what you say at the end of these ones, didn't you John?

01:44:11.042 --> 01:44:11.922
[JOHN]:Yeah, what is it?

01:44:11.922 --> 01:44:12.302
[DEREK]:I don't know.

01:44:12.302 --> 01:44:14.662
[DEREK]:It was a keep watching, keep witching?

01:44:14.662 --> 01:44:15.862
[DEREK]:Hey witches.

01:44:20.582 --> 01:44:22.422
[JOHN]:What was that from?

01:44:22.422 --> 01:44:24.882
[DEREK]:That was from Agatha All Along.

01:44:25.002 --> 01:44:27.082
[DEREK]:What's up witches?

01:44:27.082 --> 01:44:30.262
[JOHN]:Keep watching, keep listening, and of course, keep witching.

01:44:30.262 --> 01:44:30.742
[DEREK]:Bye.

01:44:30.742 --> 01:44:30.882
[JOHN]:Bye.